Timeless 16
by jakesgirl1001
Summary: Part 16 of the 18 part timeless story of Sam and Jake
1. Chapter 1

**TIMELESS 16**

**Chapter 1**

Jake stared at his oldest brother in disbelief, then shock as he sank down to sit on his bed. He heard Kit, but he couldn't focus on his brother.

"Are you sure?" Jake asked.

"Yes," Kit nodded.

Jake felt as if his world was crashing down around him. He had loved Sam with his soul and had hated her when he had found out she had cheated on him. Now he finds out she really hadn't cheated on him. She hadn't betrayed him. Sam had been drugged and then raped.

All his anger, all his misery, everything had been for nothing. Now he felt like a jerk even though he had no way of knowing.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Jake wondered.

"She'd be mad if she knew I was telling you now," Kit informed him. "You know how mad Sammy can get."

Jake's mouth twitched once. He couldn't help it. Sam always did have a temper on her and she was the most stubborn person he had ever met.

"She wants you to be happy," Kit said. "She knows you're getting married and didn't want to upset that."

Jake raised his eyes to those of his brother.

"You are still gettin' married, right?" Kit asked.

"'Course," Jake nodded. "I love Dawn."

"What about Sammy?" Kit wondered.

Jake sighed. "I've tried to hate her. I just was never able to really pull it off. She was always there in the back of my mind. Something would remind me of her and I'd get to hurtin' again."

"I was shocked to see her in Hawaii," Kit said. "From the look on her face, she never expected to see me either."

Kit shook his head.

"I just can't get over how even after all this time, she's protecting you," Kit went on. "She loves you a lot."

"We always thought we were each others' soulmates," Jake shrugged.

"And now?" Kit wondered.

Jake shrugged again.

"I'm marryin' Dawn in two days," Jake responded. "Sam's out of my life now."

Kit nodded slowly. Jake wouldn't meet his eyes as he stood up.

"Thanks Kit," Jake told him. Finally, he met Kit's dark brown eyes with his own. "How is she?"

"Not good, Jakey," Kit was honest. "Not good at all. She's lost a lot of weight and her eyes are haunted."

Jake grimaced. He hated to hear that. Sam had meant the world to him at one time. He tried not to think about her too often. It still brought an ache to his heart when he did.

His phone rang and Jake saw it was Dawn.

"I better answer this, it's Dawn," Jake told his brother.

"Okay," Kit clapped his little brother on the shoulder and left Jake's room.

"Hi," Jake said to Dawn on the phone.

"Can you meet me where we went to talk before?" Dawn asked.

"Sure," Jake was surprised. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," Dawn said, but Jake heard something in her voice.

"When?" Jake asked.

"I'll leave now and meet you there," Dawn told him.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Jake asked again.

"See you soon," Dawn responded and hung up.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. Something was off and Jake had a bad feeling about this. Dawn had been acting a bit strange for a couple of days, ever since she had stayed at Three Ponies.

Jake suspected she had found Sam's old engagement ring. He wasn't sure why that should matter, but he headed out to meet his fiancée.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Dawn was already there by the time Jake showed up in his black Ford truck. He had stopped at Clara's and gotten them a couple of sandwiches and some sodas. They might as well have a bit of a picnic while they were there.

Jake smiled at Dawn as he stopped the truck and turned it off. She was sitting on the hood of her car as she waited for him. He couldn't read her face as she watched him approach.

"Hi," Jake greeted her. He bent to kiss her and at the last minute she turned her head slightly, his kiss coming in contact with her cheek.

Jake frowned.

"Tell me what's going on," Jake leaned against her car.

Dawn didn't say anything right away and Jake waited her out. He had a lot of practice waiting out people. He and Sam used to do it all the time.

Jake frowned again. Why had he thought of Sam?

"I can't marry you," Dawn blurted out.

"What?" Jake yelped. He didn't know what to expect, but this certainly wasn't it.

He looked down at her, but she wouldn't look at him.

"I love you," Dawn said softly. "But I don't think we should marry."

"Why the heck not?" Jake ground out. _What was it about him and losing fiancées?_

"I feel that deep down you're still in love with Sam," Dawn looked up at him then.

"So that means I can't love you?" Jake wondered, his frustration evident in his voice.

"I found her ring," Dawn told him.

"So what?" Jake said. "It was her ring. I gave you a ring when I asked you to marry me."

"Jake, can't you see?" Dawn asked.

"See what?" Jake asked his own question.

"Her ring is so special," Dawn went on. "The diamonds are like fire."

"You want a ring like that, I'll give you a ring like that," Jake said.

"That's not the point," Dawn tried to make him see. "I love my ring, but it's not like that one."

"Just because it only has one diamond?" Jake yelped. He was so confused.

"It makes me sound greedy to say yes," Dawn murmured. "I don't mean it like that.

"Her engagement ring is a thing of beauty. The stones almost flare in the light. Mine seems like an afterthought next to that one."

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. He was so confused. She didn't want to marry him because Sam's ring sparkled more?

"I feel as if I'd always be second best," Dawn got to the point.

"That's not true," Jake murmured.

"Isn't it?" Dawn looked up at him. She was dry eyed.

Jake knew Sam would be crying.

Darn, why was he thinking of Sam again like this? Why now?

Maybe Dawn had a point.

Sam had been popping into his head a lot lately. Now with this news from Kit, Jake was confused on how he actually felt about her.

He knew a part of him would always love Samantha. They had grown up together. They knew each other better than most siblings knew each other

When he had thought she had cheated on him, he had been devastated at losing her. While Jake was confused with Dawn, he too was dry eyed.

"What about the wedding?" Jake asked.

"My family will contact everyone," Dawn responded.

Jake didn't say anything. He looked off towards the mountains. Sam's horse, the Phantom was out there somewhere. For the first time in his life, Jake wished he and the horse could change places. Jake longed to be free, right now. Free and without anything to think about besides where to run and where to find their next meal.

"You're sure?" Jake had to ask one last time.

"I've accepted a job in Utah," Dawn told him. "I'll be teaching at one of the reservations there."

Jake gave a loud sigh.

He looked down when she pressed her engagement ring into his hand. His dark brown eyes met hers and while he saw regret, he didn't see devastation. She would survive just fine without him.

Would he survive without her?

He thought so. He didn't feel the mind numbing, heart pounding sorrow he had felt before.

Why?

"Take care of yourself, Jake," Dawn murmured, getting down from the hood of the car.

Jake took a step away as she got in her car without giving him a hug. She gave him a long last look and drove off, leaving Jake to look after her.

Gosh, he felt so alone right now. His hand gripped the ring in his palm.

She was gone out of his life, just like that.

Jake wasn't sure what to do. His grandfather's face flashed in his mind and Jake decided he needed to see Mac.

He got in his black truck and drove towards the Shoshone reservation. The food he had brought for a picnic was forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Jake, come on in," Mac greeted his grandson.

Jake went into Mac's house and stood there, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What's wrong with me that nobody wants to marry me?" Jake asked.

"Dawn broke off the wedding," Mac said. Jake noticed it wasn't a question.

"Yes," Jake bit out. "She said something crazy like her ring wasn't in the same caliber as the one I had bought Sam, so she questioned how much I loved her."

"Is there truth in that?" Mac asked gently.

Jake whirled to face his grandfather, the anger noticeable on his face. Mac stood there, his eyebrow raised and Jake's anger faded.

"She didn't betray me," Jake murmured.

Mac tilted his head.

"She was drugged and then date raped," Jake went on.

"Oh Jacob," Mac's voice was caring. "Poor Samantha. To have gone years thinking you betrayed the one person you loved the most."

Jake looked at his grandfather in disbelief. _He_ had been the one who thought they had been betrayed and Mac was sympathizing with Sam?

"She still loves you," Mac said. "She loved you enough to let you marry someone else."

Jake could only nod.

"What about all that nonsense about a new dawn?" Jake had to ask.

"She healed your broken heart," Mac reminded him.

"I was supposed to marry her in two days," Jake said.

Mac shrugged.

"You cannot change things out of your control," he told his grandson.

"More mumbo jumbo," Jake grouched.

"Tell me something," Mac challenged.

"What?"

"Why are you not as broken as you were when you believed Sam had betrayed you?" Mac asked.

Jake looked away. Darn his grandfather. He asked the very question Jake had asked himself.

"I don't know," Jake admitted.

"Oh, I think you do," Mac pushed.

Jake gave his grandfather an irritated glance.

"You have much to think about tonight, Jake," Mac said softly.

Jake took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. He couldn't argue with his grandfather. He _did_ have a lot to think about.

Jake's eyes flicked to Mac. His grandfather was watching him intently.

"You will not fall into the darkness again," Mac almost whispered.

Jake nodded, understanding. He had plummeted into such depths when he had lost Sam those two years ago. He didn't want to go there again.

"Thank you Grandfather," Jake told him.

"Do you want a ceremony?" Mac asked.

Jake's head whirled in Mac's direction. They had used a Shoshone cleansing ceremony when Jake had lost Samantha and had been so filled with despair. He didn't feel that despair now.

"It might help you make your decision," Mac shrugged.

Jake nodded and Mac went to get his supplies. Jake stood in the middle of Mac's living room waiting for him to return.

The sweet grass was already burning by the time that Mac returned. He was chanting in Shoshone waving the eagle feather so the smoke from the sweet grass engulfed Jake in its cloud.

Jake stood with his head bowed, waiting for the feeling of peace that he had experienced before. Mac continued to chant as he waved the eagle feather through the smoke.

Soon, Jake felt himself relax. It would all be all right. He knew it would be. He didn't feel the gnawing demon inside of him like he had before. He didn't feel he needed to exorcise Dawn from his soul as he had with Sam.

Was that his answer?

Sam hadn't betrayed him. She hadn't knowingly cheated on him. She loved him still. No one except someone full of love would sentence themselves to a life full of hurt and loneliness as she had done.

Jake started humming along with Mac's chants. His head rose a bit. Still Mac chanted, offering the sweet grass smoke to the four corners of the Earth.

Jake's head rose a bit more as he continued to hum.

Sam. He could think of her now. He had loved Dawn, but she had been right. Part of him would always love Sam.

They had believed they were soulmates as young as four and six years of age. Were they?

Could they ever get back what they had? Did Jake want to? Did Sam want to?

Jake began to sing under his breath as he lifted his head all the way. His head was filled with visions of the auburn haired girl of his youth. He saw his past with her. His youthful life. Every memory he had of his youth included her.

She had been his soul. Could she be again? Was she still?

Dawn faded from his conscious mind to be replaced by the haunting beauty of Samantha. He saw the deep bruises surrounding her brown eyes. He saw her kneeling, her head bent as she wailed out in pain. The heart wrenching pain of losing him.

Was Dawn doing that now?

Jake somehow knew she wouldn't. Dawn would find the right someone to love. He knew that as fact.

_Who is my someone to love_, Jake asked himself.

In his mind, Sam's haunted brown eyes lifted and stared straight into his dark brown eyes.

"Jacob?" Mac startled Jake by putting his hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Did you see what you needed to see?"

"Yes, Grandfather," Jake nodded slowly. "I did."

Mac smiled softly as he too nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jake told his family about what had happened. He could see the worry in his mother's eyes. He knew she was worried that he would plunge into the bleakness that he had plunged into last time.

When he met Kit's and Cricket's eyes, Jake saw the sparkle in both of their eyes. He looked away quickly.

"What about the rehearsal dinner?" Maxine said the first thing that popped into her head.

"We cancel it," Luke told his wife.

He looked closely at his youngest son, but didn't see the misery he had seen when Jake and Sam had broken up. Erroneously broken up, it seemed now.

"I knew Sammy wouldn't cheat on you," Quinn was saying.

"Then maybe you should have spoken up sooner," Nate sneered, darting a look at Jake. He too was surprised that Jake was taking this breakup pretty much in stride.

The whole family remembered the incident with Sam and they all shuddered collectively.

Quinn met the eyes of his twin. Bryan raised an eyebrow, he too noticing that Jake seemed okay with the canceled wedding.

"When are you returning to Hawaii?" Jake asked Kit and Cricket.

"You joinin' us?" Kit wondered, surprising the rest of the family.

"What?" Maxine yelped. "Why are you still planning on going to Hawaii?"

"Hell yes!" Quinn shouted, catching on to what was happening.

"Quinn Anthony Ely," Maxine reprimanded her son. He ignored her.

Debi looked at Quinn, then at Jake. She too figured out why Jake was asking. She couldn't help the smile.

"Same as before," Kit told his little brother. "The twenty first."

Jake nodded. "I'll cash in one of the tickets."

His brothers and their wives were excited at the prospect of Jake going after Sam.

"Jake?" Maxine broke in. "Are you sure about this? She hurt you so badly before."

"It wasn't her fault, Mom," Jake reminded her.

"What if she won't come back?" Nate had to ask.

That shook Jake a bit. He hadn't thought about that.

"I don't know," Jake admitted.

"I think she will," Cricket told them. "Sam admits to still loving Jake."

"But two years have gone by," Cara said.

"She still loves him," Kit insisted. "She's stubborn, but she still loves him. She made that very clear."

Cricket nodded.

"We'll see," Luke murmured.

Jake met the eyes of his father.

"Don't forget she has a pretty prestigious job with the San Francisco paper," Luke told his son.

"She might not want to give that up," Maxine agreed. "Grace says she's been nominated for a Pulitzer. It doesn't get more prestigious than that."

"She'll come back," Quinn was sure.

Everyone looked at him.

"You tell her I'll show her what was in the hammock and she'll catch the first flight back," Quinn grinned.

The rest of the family groaned. His wife swatted him.

"Oh yeah, right," Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yeah Quinn, do us a favor and don't try to call her with that offer, huh?" Bryan told his twin.

"She'd head for someplace that nobody could find her," Kit groaned.

The family laughed and Jake couldn't help the smile. They were all excited at the possibility of the prospect of Jake seeing Sam again.

For so long, he and his family never said her name out loud. It had brought too much pain for him, even after his being engaged to Dawn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The day of what should have been his wedding, Jake was packing for Hawaii. He wasn't a shorts kind of guy so he just packed jeans and t-shirts. As he went through his underwear and sock drawer his hand touched the box hidden there.

Jake pulled out the box that Sam had returned years ago. He opened the lid, gazing at the ring inside. He guessed he could see Dawn's point. The ring was stunningly bright.

He had bought it for the love of his life at the time. That love was stunning to him and he wanted her ring to be too.

He picked up the ring he had given Dawn. He had to admit that it was dull in comparison.

Jake hadn't honestly consciously done that. He loved Dawn. He would miss her, but he would survive this breakup. There wouldn't be tears involved this time. Jake was certain of that.

Jake put Dawn's ring into the box with Sam's jewelry and stuck it back in the drawer. Maybe he _should_ make pendants for his nieces.

There was no guarantee that Sam would be receptive to him. There was no guarantee they would look at each other and feel anything. Maybe too much time had gone by.

Maybe Sam was upset that he had broken it off when he had thought she had betrayed him. She was extremely stubborn. She didn't always do what was right. Not that Jake was right. Sam sometimes would say no, when she should be saying yes, just because she could.

Jake couldn't help the twitch of his mouth. There was a reason he had always called her Brat.

Once he was packed, he stripped off his clothes and went to take a shower. When he was done, he came back to his room and crawled into his bed.

He still found it strange that he normally was the only son still left at home. Cricket and Kit were now in Kit's room until the morning. Usually it was just him. He had forgotten Cricket was here when he had walked down to the bathroom naked. Good thing she hadn't come out into the hallway.

Lucas was in the room next to theirs which used to be Adam's.

Jake sighed, they were all growing up. He hoped he wouldn't be alone a whole lot longer. Jake wanted a woman to love. He wanted to have children.

At this point, he wasn't sure if it would be Sam or not. He had a lot riding on all of this. She might not want him anymore.

Jake hoped that if that was the case he wouldn't fall into depression again. If not Sam, then maybe someone else was out there who would love him.

Jake sighed, putting his hands under his head as he lay on his back. He felt himself drifting off and his thoughts turned to Sam.

If nothing else, he wanted to apologize to her. If it turned out she didn't care or she didn't want him, he at least would apologize. He hoped they could be friends again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I need to stop for gas," Jake told Kit and Cricket as they started the drive to Reno.

"That's fine," Kit said. "We can grab something for the road at Clara's."

Jake nodded as he drove. He soon pulled into Phil's and stopped at one of the pumps.

"Want something at Clara's?" Cricket asked Jake.

"Sure, how about a breakfast sandwich," Jake told her. "And coffee."

"You got it," Cricket smiled at him and gave him a quick hug.

"She's happy," Kit also smiled at his brother. "She likes Sammy."

"Sam might not be receptive," Jake cautioned his oldest brother.

"The argument might be fun," Kit grinned his wolfish grin.

Jake couldn't help the chuckle. Kit knew Sam well.

Kit followed his wife into Clara's while Jake stayed with the pump.

He watched a car pull up and groaned when he saw Jen Kenworthy inside. She was with his cousin Eric.

"Hey Cuz," Eric got out of his car.

Jake didn't know Eric all that well. Eric didn't know Jake at all if he addressed him as Cuz.

"What happened, Jake?" Jen got out of the car.

Jake shrugged. He didn't feel he owed Jen an explanation. Then he thought of something. He didn't want Jen calling Sam and telling her. He was afraid Sam would take off, disappearing without a trace.

"Listen, don't call Sam okay?" Jake asked.

Jen tilted her head at Jake. "Why not?"

"Just don't," Jake said.

Jen didn't tell Jake that she already had called Sam when Jen had learned the wedding was off and had gotten Sam's voice mail. Jen hadn't left a message.

Eric was pumping gas into his car and listening to the conversation between his girlfriend and his cousin.

"You going on a trip?" Eric noticed the bags in the back of Jake's truck.

Jake met his eyes and Eric grinned.

"No!" Jen too figured it out.

Jake shrugged again and Jen almost growled in frustration.

Kit and Cricket came out of Clara's with the food.

"Hey Jen," Kit smiled at her.

"Hi Kit, going back home, huh?" Jen asked.

"Yep," Kit nodded.

"I have to get back to the store," Cricket put in.

"Well maybe I'll see you again if Jake ever gets married," Jen sniped.

Jake again didn't respond, which frustrated Jen. Jake had learned early on not to respond to her barbs. He knew it drove her crazy.

"Hey Eric," Kit saw his cousin filling up his car.

"Safe trip," Eric said to him.

"Thanks," Kit waited for Cricket to get into the passenger seat before he handed her the food and then got in the backseat of Jake's truck.

Jake went into Phil's to pay and came back a few minutes later.

"Good luck, Cuz," Eric called to him as Jake started getting into his truck.

Jake paused, meeting the blue eyes of his cousin.

"Thanks," Jake told him.

Eric nodded at him and Jake gave a nod back before starting the truck and pulling out towards Reno.

"Why did you wish him luck?" Jen asked. "Maybe Sam's moved on."

"You and I both know she'll never move on," Eric responded. "Don't you want her happy?"

"Of course I do," Jen snapped. "I just wish she could be happy without Ely."

Eric laughed, putting his arm around her, then giving her a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jake looked out the window of the plane and saw the immense bleakness of the ocean below him. He wasn't one for long plane rides. He didn't like sitting still that long. It was a five hour flight from Reno to Hawaii.

He had already been up and pacing the aisles a few times, much to the amusement of his oldest brother and his wife.

"Have a beer and relax, Jakey," Kit told him lifting his own bottle.

"Might as well," Jake went back to his seat. He was sitting on the aisle, having given up his window seat for Lucas.

He ordered a beer when the next flight attendant came by and thanked him for it when it was delivered.

Now Jake sat sipping that beer, thinking of the young woman he was flying to Hawaii to see. He had been thinking of her almost constantly since Dawn had ended their engagement.

Jake had barely given Dawn a thought. Wasn't that telling? Maybe she had been right. Heck, Jake knew she had been right. All it had taken was for Jake to know that Sam hadn't betrayed him, not really, and Jake had opened the door to his heart a bit.

In typical Sam fashion, she had barged right through. It would have been a mistake to have married Dawn, even though Jake loved her. He could never love her the way he loved Sam. Dawn had realized that before he did.

Maybe he had gotten her a lesser ring subconsciously. Had that been his way of telling her and himself that Sam meant more to him?

He took another sip and continued to lose himself in his thoughts.

Jake looked out the window at the sun that was shining there above the clouds. He sighed.

He didn't know what to expect when he saw Sam again. What would she do? Yell and swear at him? He didn't expect her to just jump in his arms. Even down and hurt the way Cricket and Kit had told him she was, she had too much temper for that.

Who knows, she might not care about him anymore. You can love someone and not wish to be with them. That's how he had thought he felt about Sam.

He realized he had loved her, deep down, even though he had loved Dawn and had been willing to marry her, even after finding out that Sam hadn't cheated on him. He knew he wouldn't have been happy with Dawn, but he could have made it work.

Jake smirked, one corner of his mouth twitching upward for an instant. What a way to think about spending the rest of your life with someone. _He could have made it work._

Now he was taking a chance. He had left Nevada to look for the girl, no she was a woman now, the woman who had stolen his heart eighteen years ago when she dove into the river after a fish.

Jake chuckled earning a look from Kit and Cricket. Both of them could tell he was thinking of Samantha just by the soft smile on his face. Their eyes met and they exchanged soft smiles of their own.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jake didn't see much of the scenery as Kit drove from the airport to Cricket's store. Jake was thinking of seeing Samantha again. What would he say to her? What could he say?

Words had never been his strong suit and he worried that he wouldn't say the right ones.

Jake saw the navy blue Avalanche parked ahead and he sat up straighter in his seat.

"I told you that's what she was driving," Kit laughed.

"You've got to be kidding," Jake muttered, unknowingly saying the identical words to what Sam had said when she had seen the truck parked in the rental slot. Jake felt a shiver as if someone had taken their cold finger and trailed it down his back.

Kit parked next to the truck and all three of them got out. Jake stood and stared at the truck, remembering why he had bought his Avalanche.

Then he turned towards the store and thought he saw her inside. Then he heard the screaming.

"Sam!" he cried out as he took off for the store. Kit and Cricket were also reacting and running with him.

As they burst through the door, they saw Sam stumble backwards into the shelves. Her actions caused the shelves to collapse, sending their contents onto Sam who fell.

"Brat!" Jake shouted as he saw what was going on, almost in slow motion. He saw the cans bouncing off her head as she lay on the floor of the store.

_Oh gosh, please not another head injury!_

By the time they reached her, she was unconscious. Jake swore under his breath as he slid to the floor, kneeling next to her. His hands gentle, he touched her head finding the bumps from the falling cans and the small cut.

"Is she okay?" Cricket was almost in a panic. Lucas stood off to one side watching his parents and uncle attend to the woman lying on the floor.

"We need to take her to the hospital," Jake said, looking at Kit. "She has to be seen whenever she sustains a head injury."

Kit nodded, understanding. Both he and Jake were trained in first aid. Kit through rodeo and Jake through his being a volunteer firefighter.

"Is anything broken?" Cricket wondered.

Both Jake and Kit examined Sam and shook their heads.

"Just a cut on the head," Kit told his wife who sighed in relief.

Jake stood up, Sam in his arms. Both Kit and Cricket looked startled, but then couldn't help the grins. Jake ignored them both.

"Come on," Jake said to Kit.

"I'll be back soon," Kit kissed his wife and laid a hand on his son's shoulder before leading the way back through the store to his truck. He opened the back door and Jake slid in, Sam still in his arms. Kit shut the door behind them and starting driving towards the nearest hospital.

Jake cradled Sam on his lap. My gosh, she still fit him so perfectly. He had noticed right away that she had lost weight. Her curves weren't as rounded as the last time he had held her.

Even unconscious, she had curled into him. Jake bit his lip as the emotion rolled over him. She didn't smell like lavender anymore. He wondered why.

Based on the coarseness of her skin, he would bet she wasn't using lotion to soften her skin anymore. She always had the softest skin. It had felt like silk under his fingertips.

Jake shook himself. He couldn't get that far ahead of himself.

"Jake," Sam murmured and he looked down at her.

Her eyes opened, meeting his. She looked as if she wasn't sure he was really there. Her brown eyes held a haunted look.

"How is she?" Kit asked as he drove.

"Kinda awake," Jake told him, his eyes not leaving Sam's. "Not sure for how long though."

Sure enough, Sam closed her haunted brown eyes and collapsed into his chest.

"We're about five minutes out," Kit met his youngest brother's eyes in the rearview mirror.

Jake nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Jake sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. Sam had drifted in and out of consciousness since they had brought her in. The hospital had checked her out and stitched up the small cut on her head. They had pronounced her fit. They wanted her to stay at least one night in the hospital.

"Jake?" Sam's soft voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Hey," Jake watched her.

"Are you real?" Sam had to ask.

His mouth twitched.

"Yeah."

Her eyes studied him for a few minutes. He let her and studied her as well.

She was thinner, her skin seemed almost translucent. She was surviving, but she wasn't living very well. To Jake who probably knew her better than anyone else in the world, it was obvious. He knew he was responsible for what he saw in front of him.

Sam saw how contented he seemed. She figured he had Dawn to thank for that. Lucky him. He was incredibly handsome. Her mind hadn't remembered just how handsome he was. She wanted nothing more than to stroke back the small bit of hair that tumbled over his forehead. She wanted nothing more than to run her hands through his thick black hair, just one more time.

She couldn't. She didn't have that right any longer. That right belonged to his wife. Dawn.

Sam felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Her throat closed as her eyes filled.

Jake saw them and his heart broke. Maybe she didn't care.

Speaking of Jake's wife…

"Why are you here?" Sam asked, trying to keep her voice neutral, not wanting him to hear the sorrow bubbling up inside of her at the prospect that he was married to someone else.

Jake's face slammed shut.

"You're hurt," he said with a shrug.

"Your wife is going to be upset," Sam responded. "You should be with her. It's your honeymoon."

_His Brat. Still looking out for him when she was lying in a hospital bed. _

"I don't have a wife," Jake said softly, watching for her reaction.

It was swift. A look of surprise, unbelief, was that happiness that showed in her sorrowful brown eyes for just a split second?

Sam's mouth opened and closed several times as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what or how.

"Dawn broke it off a couple of days ago," Jake went on, still watching her closely.

Oh yeah, there was a spark of happiness in her haunted eyes before it was gone again. Now he saw the cautiousness.

"I'm sorry," Sam sighed, looking away from him.

"I'm not," Jake countered. Her eyes flew back to his.

"Why not?" Sam had to ask. She held her breath.

"I love her, but she realized I didn't love her enough," Jake responded. "Seems someone else has captured my soul even though they had hurt me pretty badly."

Sam opened her mouth, but Jake held up a hand.

"Hurt me erroneously, it turns out" Jake went on. "Brat, you should have told me."

Sam took a gulping breath.

"How could I?" she almost whispered.

"You should have," Jake said again.

Sam shook her head. "I wanted you happy. You seemed happy with Dawn. You were engaged to her."

"Because I couldn't have you," Jake confessed.

Sam started to weep then. She put her hands over her eyes and cried.

Jake had always hated her tears. He hated them now. He got up out of the chair he was sitting in and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her into his arms. That only made her cry harder.

Great sobs were ripped from her as he held her. His hand smoothed back her auburn hair. My gosh, the emotions were swelling in Jake. _Please let her still care about me._

Her tears wet his shirt.

"Shhh," Jake crooned to her.

She bit back a wail and Jake had to smile against her hair. She never listened to him. Not much had really changed since they were six and four.

He decided to try reverse psychology.

"Just go ahead and cry," he murmured.

She sobbed his name.

Jake had to bite back a laugh. Well that obviously hadn't worked.

Sam felt the laugh as she leaned against his chest. She lifted her tear filled eyes to his dark brown eyes wishing she could read him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"How are you feeling?" Jake asked as he looked into her wet eyes. He couldn't help wiping away her tears with this thumb. "Any headaches?"

"I'm fine," Sam couldn't look away from his face.

Oh the heck with it. She had to do it.

Slowly, so slowly she reached up towards his face. She saw the surprise in Jake's dark brown, almost black eyes for a moment before he blanked them out again. Her fingertips swept the hair back from his forehead.

She couldn't stop herself. Her fingers tangled in the thick, black Shoshone hair.

Sam saw his eyes soften.

"I think I'm still unconscious," Sam whispered.

Jake's mouth twitched.

"You're not," he told her.

"I can't believe you're here," Sam's voice continued on a whisper.

"I am," Jake assured her.

"Why?" Sam's voice caught.

"Why do you think?" Jake answered.

Sam shook her head.

"Why is that so difficult to believe?" Jake asked.

"You hated me," Sam said.

"I tried," Jake admitted. "For a while I think I succeeded."

Sam turned away, but Jake tightened his arms on her, not letting her fling herself away from him.

"I'm sorry," Jake told her. He felt if nothing else happened, he owed her that regardless.

"You didn't know," Sam looked up at him again. "I would have been upset too if the roles were reversed."

Jake nodded.

"You're really not married?" Sam asked.

Jake shook his head.

"I saw you outside the store with Kit and Cricket and realized that you all went to Hawaii for your honeymoons," Sam shuddered. "I couldn't take it."

He thought about that. He would have difficulty seeing Sam with someone else, even if he were happy with another woman. Could he actually be happy with another woman?

Sam yawned and Jake got protective of her.

"You need to sleep some more," Jake told her, helping her to lie down.

"No, please," Sam resisted. She still wasn't convinced this wasn't all a dream.

Jake knew what scared her. Gosh, he had only seen her again for a couple of hours and already he knew her thoughts.

"I'll be here," he promised.

She met his brown eyes with her own. He let her see him and she caught her breath. She had to be dreaming. This just couldn't be happening to her.

Her eyes closed from fatigue, then opened again to look at him. He was still there and looking down at her.

Sam felt a peace flow over her. A peace she hadn't felt in years. Dream or not, she fell into the first peaceful sleep she'd had since they had broken up.

Jake watched her as she nodded off. He checked the machines, once again calmed by the regular beeping of them.

He moved back to the chair to watch over her. Jake felt so protective of her. He was in for a lot more hurt if she decided not to become part of his life again.

Jake knew they had a lot of discussion to get through. Talking and discussing was not his strength. He worried he wouldn't be able to say the right words.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

When Sam opened her eyes again later, he was still there. Jake could see the surprise in her face.

"I told you I would be," he told her.

"Yeah, but I'm still not convinced I'm not dreaming," Sam responded.

Jake's mouth twitched.

"How you feeling?" Jake asked her.

"My head hurts a little," her hand come up to where she had the stitches.

"They had to stitch you up," Jake explained.

Sam felt the stitches in her hair and nodded. She flicked her eyes to his again.

"Do you need anything for the pain?" Jake wondered.

Sam shook her head and then frowned when a pain shot through her head. Jake saw it on her face and reached for the nurse's button.

"No," Sam grabbed his hand. Both of them felt the jolt at the contact. "I don't want to be drugged and miss you being here. Just in case you're an illustion."

She almost melted there on the bed when he chuckled softly. Sam felt the love she had for him, always had for him, swallow her up. She also felt the pinpricks of the tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Jake asked.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked a question of her own.

Jake sat back in the chair, his longsuffering sigh loud in the room despite the beeps of the machines. His eyes met hers and the two of them stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Maybe it was. Neither of them knew for sure.

Both were telling the other many things with their eyes. Neither was sure what it all meant. Both were afraid and wary.

"Will you hold me?" Sam's voice was just a breath in the room.

"Can you be held by an illusion?" Jake teased and Sam could see the amusement in his beautiful mustang eyes.

"So you are an illusion," Sam sighed. Jake saw the disappointment, the sorrow in her expressive brown eyes.

Jake got up from the chair and sat on the bed. He eased his body next to hers, leaning back against the pillows, his legs straight out in front of him on the bed. He crossed his ankles as she burrowed into him. One arm was across his waist. The other was behind his back, almost as if she were trying to hug him.

"You smell the same," Sam murmured.

"You don't," Jake responded.

Sam picked up her head to look into his eyes, questioning his statement.

"You always reminded me of lavender," Jake clarified. "Your Gram had that darn lavender bush at River Bend. Every time I was there, the lavender would fill the air and I'd curse that bush."

"You cursed me?" Sam asked.

"Many times," Jake was honest.

Sam didn't say anything.

"It almost killed me, Brat," Jake told her.

Sam nodded. She understood.

His finger traced the cut on her wrist. "What happened here?"

Sam sighed.

"I tried to slit my wrist on my birthday when I realized you were married," Sam admitted.

Jake bit his lip. He felt it wanting to tremble.

"I suck at trying to off myself," Sam tried to make a joke.

"Thank goodness for that," Jake whispered.

"I hate to have you move, in case you disappear on me, but can you shut off that light," Sam nodded at the only light on in the room.

"Sure," Jake disengaged himself from her and got up off the bed.

Sam watched him walk to the light. My gosh, he was gorgeous. His butt and thighs were so hard. She couldn't help the grin. Maybe she should call him back from turning off the light so she could check out the front of him too.

She snorted and Jake turned, his hand reaching out to turn off the light. He smiled briefly at her. She smiled back at him before the room was plunged into darkness.

"Are you still here?" Sam whispered into the dark room.

"Yeah," his voice was right next to her and she squealed as she jumped.

"You can still sneak up on me," Sam complained, but there was humor in her voice.

"I'm old Brat, not dead," Jake teased, moving in next to her again on the bed.

Sam relaxed against him.

"Please promise me you'll never try to kill yourself again," Jake's voice was low a few minutes later.

Sam sighed. She wasn't sure she could promise that. Now that she had seen him, been near him once more, could she go back to not seeing him or being near him again?

It was like a scab being picked off the skin. Each time it was ripped off, it hurt and took a little more of the skin with it until it scared.

"I…," Sam broke off.

"Promise me, Brat," Jake's voice was harsher.

"I…can't," Sam said.

Jake started to get up and Sam grabbed onto him.

"Don't," Sam pleaded. "Let me explain."

Jake stopped, but didn't relax on the bed.

Sam tried to explain to him using the scab scenario. Jake knew she was telling him that she wasn't sure he was real. That any of this was real. She didn't know his intentions. It was his turn to read between the words.

Jake wasn't sure what to tell her. What words to say. Anything he could say seemed so inadequate to him. How do you tell someone that hurt you so badly that you still cared? How do you tell someone that you hurt by turning away from them that they meant the world to you?

He decided to show her instead. He relaxed again next to her and tightened his arms around her. He felt her sigh of relief.

Jake also felt her fighting sleep again.

"I'll be here, Brat," he murmured softly. "I promise I'm not going anywhere unless you send me away."

"Never," she breathed in a sigh as she found sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sam woke up again and she was still being held by Jake.

"What time is it?" she asked.

She felt him shift as he took out his cellphone to look at the time.

"Twelve thirty," Jake answered.

"Are you planning on being here all night?" she asked softly as she yawned.

"Yes," Jake told her. "They said I could."

"Hmm," Sam murmured. "I guess I'll go back to the hotel when they let me go."

Jake's arms tightened around her for a split second.

"I bet Kit and Cricket would let you stay at their place," Jake told her.

He felt Sam's head shake briefly against his chest.

"I've bothered them enough," Sam said.

"I hardly think you're bothering them," Jake responded.

Sam shook her head again.

"Sam…," Jake broke off.

She lifted her head slightly.

"Stay with us," Jake pleaded.

Sam was surprised. Jake rarely pleaded.

"Why?"

She felt Jake's sigh.

"I'm not good with words," he almost seemed to be talking to himself, so softly were his words.

_Tell me_, Sam begged silently.

Jake was silent. Sam decided to help him. Help both of them. Maybe it was all wishful thinking on her part?

"Tell me what happened with Dawn," Sam urged.

Jake sighed deeply. Sam could feel just how deeply it was with her head on his chest.

"She found your ring," Jake said.

Sam's head snapped up and caught him under the chin. She felt the tears in her eyes as her stitches connected with his hard chin. Her hand reached up to her head.

"What?" she yelped.

Jake was rubbing his chin.

"Is your head all right?" he asked.

"Fine," Sam's voice was impatient. "You still have my ring?"

"Yeah," Jake admitted. "I kept telling myself I would have the stones taken out and make necklaces for my nieces, but I never did."

"Dawn was staying with me and needed socks." He heard her suck in a breath. "I went to shower and she found the ring in my sock and underwear drawer."

He heard her small whimper and tightened his arms on her. He had just verified that he and Dawn had been intimate. She had foolishly hoped that they hadn't. Of course they had.

"She never told me she had until later," Jake went on reluctantly. "She…she told me…"

"She told you what?" Sam pushed.

Jake took in a deep breath. Sam's head rose on his chest as he did. Her head dropped when he let it out.

"She told me that she couldn't marry me because I still loved you," Jake finished.

Sam froze. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. She pinched herself. She didn't feel anything. She had to be dreaming. She just had to be dreaming.

"Ow," Jake yelped.

Sam couldn't help it, she giggled.

"I'm sorry, I was pinching myself," she explained. "I knew I had to be dreaming because I didn't feel it."

"Oh trust me, I felt it," Jake chuckled.

"I didn't mean to pinch you," Sam's voice was filled with humor.

Jake smiled in the darkness. He had missed her laughter.

"Do you?" her voice was reluctant in the darkness. She hated taking that chance that all this would end so soon, so quickly.

"Yeah, I do," Jake made Sam's heart sing with his answer.

Instead of telling him this, she burst into tears.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Shhh," Jake tried to calm her, seeing the graphs on the machines starting to go crazy.

Had he been mistaken in admitting it?

Sam was blubbering against his neck. Jake could feel the wetness of her tears against his skin. He tried to fight the ticklish feeling.

"Oh my gosh," Sam whispered, her breath against his neck causing his skin to break out in goosebumps. "You love me?"

"Yeah," Jake tightened his arms on her, not being able to stop from kissing the top of her head. "I tried not to. I thought I had succeeded, but I was just fooling myself.

"When Kit told me what happened, I felt like my world was crashing in on me. How could I let myself love you when I was marrying Dawn? I was still going to marry Dawn. Then she called me, wanting to see me and she told me she couldn't marry me.

"At first, I thought something was wrong with me to lose two fiancées. Then I went to Grandfather's and I realized how much I still cared for you. How much I still loved you."

Sam thought that might have been the longest Jake speech ever. My gosh she had missed him so much. More than she had ever realized.

"So I came back to Hawaii with Kit and Cricket," Jake went on. "And Lucas."

"When I saw Lucas for the first time I thought he was how our children would have looked," Sam told him. "I didn't realize he was Kit's son until he started yelling at me."

"He told me he wasn't very nice," Jake said.

"I don't blame him," Sam shook her head slightly. "He didn't know what had happened. Only Jen knew."

"You should have told me," Jake said again.

"How could I?" Sam wondered. "Jake, I had ruined everything we had. I blamed myself. I knew you would hate me. I wanted to die, but I couldn't do it to myself.

"I tried to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge."

Jake startled, horrified.

"The first Christmas," Sam told him. "I didn't want to live without you. I couldn't live without you. I was surviving, but I wasn't alive."

Jake felt the tear trickle down his cheek. He understood. That first Christmas had been agony for him too.

"I hated myself," Sam continued. "I couldn't stand Creep, how could I ever betray you with him?"

"Creep?" Jake chuckled.

"That's what Jen and I called him," Sam explained.

Jake nodded, wanting her to go on.

"Then when the story broke of someone at Davis being arrested for possessing date rape drugs, it never dawned on me that it had happened to me," Sam murmured. "I went to cover the story and Jen told me what had happened.

"I hadn't betrayed you. Not really. I had been drugged and raped."

"Oh Samantha," Jake murmured, hugging her tightly.

"I was finally able to forgive myself," Sam told him. "I made the choice not to intrude into your life since by that time you were engaged to Dawn."

"Knowing you found someone else to love made me happy in some ways," Sam said. "In other ways it killed me to know I had lost you forever."

She sniffled and tried dashing the tears away on her face.

"Once the story was written and I went back to San Francisco, I had a bunch of tests run," Sam sighed. "I worried about all kinds of STD's. AIDS, hepatitis…"

"You're all right?" Jake asked softly.

Sam nodded.

"Except my heart was still broken," Sam whispered. "You were marrying another woman. In my mind, you were only supposed to marry me." She hoped that wasn't too bold, but it was the truth.

"Funny how things work out sometimes, huh?" Jake simply said.

Sam nodded against his chest. She yawned again, but fought against it.

"Maybe you need to get some more sleep," Jake suggested.

"No," Sam shook her head with more strength than either had realized she could do. "I can sleep anytime. I'm not going to sleep without telling you all of this."

"Okay," Jake murmured. She thought he kissed the top of her head again.

She lifted her head. She wished she could see him in the dark. Maybe she had been wrong to have him turn off the light.

Sam felt his hand touch her jaw, gently, softly. She instinctively leaned in towards him. His lips brushed over hers. Sam whimpered as she rose up to meet his kiss.

Just like that, after all these years the flames ignited in both of them. At first it was just a spark as their mouths met, to break apart to meet again.

When one of Jake's hands moved to the back of her head, the inferno erupted in both of them. Their kiss became one of healing, one of understanding, one of redemption.

Their kiss then became one of trust, one of forgiveness and finally one of love.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Jake's phone rang, waking him up. He looked around, groggy but he knew where he was. It all seemed like a dream to him, but he knew which woman was in his arms. Sam.

He looked at his phone, seeing it was Kit.

"Hey," he said softly.

He felt Sam stirring in his arms.

"You're still alive?" Kit teased.

"Yeah," Jake couldn't help the smile.

Kit could hear the smile in his voice.

"How's it going?" Kit asked.

"Good," Jake answered.

Sam lifted her head quickly as if she couldn't believe he was indeed real. He smiled softly at her. She smiled back at him just as softly. She looked at his mouth. Jake pursed his lips and she touched hers to his. They smiled softly again at each other.

"Any idea on when Sammy will be released?" Kit wondered.

"No, the doctors haven't been by yet this morning," Jake told him. "I'll let you know when they are and if they're releasing her."

"They will," Sam said gruffly.

Jake grinned at her.

Kit heard her and chuckled.

"She's a feisty one," Kit remarked.

"Yeah, she is," Jake's grin widened when Sam realized they were talking about her.

She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

"She's there?" Kit guessed.

"Yeah, sticking her tongue out at me," Jake told him.

"Some things never change," Kit laughed.

"No," Jake agreed.

"You both will be staying here?" Kit wondered.

"Yes," Jake affirmed. "We'll stop at her hotel room and pick up her stuff."

Sam gave him a look. Jake gave it right back to her.

"Good," Kit said. "Talk to you soon, I hope."

"Bye Kit," Jake hung up.

"Why did you tell him that?" Sam asked.

"Tell him what?"

"That you'll pick up my stuff," Sam clarified.

"Because we will," Jake shrugged.

"Jake."

"Samantha."

She huffed at him and he grinned his tomcat lying in the sun smug grin at her.

He reached out to brush her hair away from her face. The softness, the tenderness in his touch made her eyes fill.

"Why are you crying?" Jake touched his mouth to her weeping eyes.

"I'm still dreaming," Sam wept.

Jake pinched his arm.

"Nope, I feel it," he told her.

Sam reached down and he thought she was going to pinch her arm too. He was surprised and yelped when she pinched his arm.

She giggled.

"Yep, you felt that one too," she grinned at him.

"Gee, thanks Brat," Jake grinned and Sam sighed.

My gosh, she felt alive this morning. She hadn't felt alive in so very long.

Jake saw it in her eyes as their eyes met. His lips briefly met hers.

"Did you feel that?" Jake whispered.

"Oh yeah," Sam sighed, then blushed.

She had felt it all right. Funny, how quickly that part of her woke up after she had declared it dead forever.

Darn! Sam glanced at Jake out of the corner of her eyes and saw his grin. Darn him for being able to read her so well.

"I feel it too," Jake whispered directly in her ear. Sam shuddered.

"Are you sure I'm not dreaming?" Sam asked him.

"No Brat, it's real," Jake looked at her. She could see how serious he was.

It seemed so quick, but it also felt so right. She sighed, nuzzling into his neck once again.

Both of them sighed, content with each other as they lay on her bed together in the hospital room.

Jake thought what a crazy couple of days it had been, but he was glad he was there and he certainly was glad he was holding her in his arms again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The doctors released Sam later that day. They had done a CT scan and everything looked normal. They had told Sam that she shouldn't be left alone for a few days.

Sam's eyes slid to Jake's. She had to look away. He had given her such a superior look, she almost started laughing right there.

My goodness, she felt like her old self again, ready to laugh so readily, so easily. For the first time in years she found herself smiling without having to force it.

Her eyes met Jake's again and she saw that he knew what she was thinking. She soft the softness directed at her.

They sat next to each other in the lobby, waiting for Kit to come and pick them up. Her knee was against his knee. She could feel the warmth of him next to her.

She leaned into his chest and he put an arm around her.

_If I'm dreaming, I never want to wake up!_

"You're not," Jake murmured.

Sam jumped. His being able to read her was going to take some time getting used to it again.

Jake saw Kit's truck and stood up. He helped Sam to her feet.

"Hey," Kit smiled at her as they approached his truck. "You doin' okay?"

"Yes," Sam smiled back at him. She noticed Lucas in the passenger seat.

"Hi Lucas," Sam smiled at him as Jake opened the back door.

"Hi," Lucas seemed shy. His eyes darted to those of his father. Then to his Uncle Jake's.

Jake rumpled Lucas' hair as he got in behind Sam. Lucas laughed and swatted his uncle's hands away.

Sam bit her lip as she smiled. Jake was so sweet with his nephew. She hadn't seen him interact with his nieces and nephews before. They had been apart then. To her he was a natural. He'd be a good father.

She jumped when she felt his hand grip hers. Her eyes flew to his and he looked as if he were asking her permission. She gave his hand a squeeze and saw him relax.

"All my things are in the Avalanche," Sam told Kit.

"Okay, I'll drop you two off there and you can follow Lucas and I back to the house," Kit said.

"Do you need to check out of the hotel?" Jake asked.

Sam shook her head. "I, uh, had checked out yesterday. I can check back in though if you'd rather I stay there.

"No," Jake shook his head. "The doctors all said you need to be watched."

"Don't argue, Sammy," Kit told her. "I have strict orders from Cricket that you are staying with us."

Sam turned away to look out the window.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Kit and Jake exchanged looks in the mirror. Jake shook his head at Kit's question. Kit had asked him with his eyes if Sam was going to give them a hard time about staying with them. Jake didn't think so. Oh she might bluster, but in the end she'd stay. Neither wanted to be too far from the other right now and he knew that.

"As soon as you're up to it Sammy, I'll take you for the grand tour at the ranch," Kit was saying

Sam met his eyes in the mirror and nodded.

They pulled up at the store, the navy blue Avalanche right where Sam had parked it yesterday. _What a difference twenty four hours made_, Sam thought.

She glanced at Jake and he squeezed her hand again.

"Cricket working today?" Jake asked.

"No, she's home cooking up a storm," Kit laughed, shaking his head.

Jake smiled at his brother. Then he opened the back door, sliding out. He held out his hand to Sam. She took it and slid out behind him.

"I bet my batteries are all dead in this heat," Sam complained, heading towards the blue truck.

"I'm happy for you, little man," Kit murmured.

Jake nodded. "Nothing has happened yet, but we have talked a lot."

"You're happy," Kit noted.

"Hmm," Jake nodded again. He met his brother's eyes.

"You're okay about Dawn?" Jake could see Kit's concern.

"Yeah, it's not like it was before," Jake assured him. "She is a great woman and I do love her."

"You love her more though," Kit nodded towards Sam.

"I do and Dawn realized that," Jake said.

They saw Sam looking back at them. She had concern on her beautiful face and Jake knew she was worried they were talking about her.

"I'll talk to you later," Jake told Kit.

"Not a problem, Jakey," Kit said, watching his brother approach Samantha. He could see the softening in both of their faces as their eyes met.

Kit smiled at the two of them. "Well Lucas, Uncle Jake sure looks happy doesn't he?"

Lucas nodded.

"I hope this time he gets to marry her," Kit put his truck in reverse and backed up when Jake was ready.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sam watched Jake as he drove the Avalanche.

"Brings back memories, huh?" Jake glanced at her.

"I always liked your truck," Sam murmured.

"I'm driving something else now," Jake told her.

Sam looked at him in surprise.

"I sold the Avalanche," he said.

Sam tilted her head at him. When he didn't elaborate, she knew. She turned away from him.

"You thought of me," Sam's voice was deadened.

"Yeah," Jake glanced over at him. "Don't Brat."

"Don't what?" Sam asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"It was in the beginning," Jake explained. "I couldn't think of you without wanting to curl up somewhere."

Sam looked down at her lap. He saw her rolling her hands in her lap.

"Look at me," Jake told her.

Sam glanced at him, then looked away again.

Jake chuckled. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

Sam looked at him again and this time she widened her eyes and stared at him.

"You are a brat," Jake murmured.

Sam snorted. "You told me to look at you."

"Yeah I guess I did," Jake grinned at her.

Sam turned away with a smile. Gosh, she had smiled more the last twenty four hours than she had in the past couple of years. It felt good and she knew who was responsible.

"How's your head?" Jake asked.

"Okay," Sam answered automatically.

She glanced at him and saw him watching her.

"Okay, it aches a bit where they put the stitches," Sam admitted.

Jake nodded.

"No dizziness or anything?" he wondered.

"No," Sam shook her head once. She reached up to touch where the stitches were. "They didn't shave anything did they?"

She turned away from him, remembering that she had thought about shaving her head at one time.

"What?" Jake asked, looking at her.

"Just remembering something," Sam told him. "Did they?"

"No," Jake assured her. "They parted the hair and put the stitches in."

"How long before they come out?" Sam asked.

"About ten days," he told her, glancing at her. "It might itch."

"I remember from my thigh," Sam sighed. "I wanted nothing more than to scratch those stitches."

Jake turned back to the road, turning when Kit did in front of him. Kit pulled into a driveway and parked the truck. Jake pulled in behind him.

"Ready?" Jake asked her, shutting off the Avalanche.

"I'm not sure I should stay here," Sam looked over at him.

"Why?" Jake wondered.

"He's _your_ brother," Sam pointed out.

"He was your big brother at one time too," Jake reminded her.

Sam nodded.

"So much has happened since then," Sam sighed.

"So much has happened in the last twenty four hours," Jake murmured.

Sam swung her head around to look at him. Their eyes met again and Jake told her with his that nothing had changed from last night. Sam nodded, sighing in relief.

"I still feel strange," Sam told him.

"I imagine we both will for awhile," Jake said.

"Then again, it all feels, I don't know…," Sam's voice trailed off.

"It feels good," Jake finished.

Sam met his eyes and nodded.

"It does," she agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Oh Sam," Cricket enveloped the younger woman in her arms. "I'm so glad you decided to stay with us."

Sam heard both Jake and Kit snort.

Cricket looked up, wondering what was going on.

"Which room do you want them in?" Kit asked.

Sam and Jake both widened their eyes at Kit. Cricket saw it.

"Put Sam's things in the room at the end of the hall," Cricket told her husband.

"I need to call my editor," Sam said, following the men down the hallway. Jake turned at feeling her behind him.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I need to call Johnny," Sam told him.

"My editor," Sam went on, seeing Jake's raised eyebrow. She smiled at him. Sam wasn't used to explaining things to anyone and certainly not used to a man showing a bit of jealousy.

Jake smiled back at her as he deposited the pink _My Little Pony _backpack on the bed in the room she would be using.

"That brings back memories, huh?" Kit pointed at the backpack.

"Yeah, Quinn's gonna be thrilled to see it again," Jake nodded.

Sam looked surprised.

Jake caught Kit's eye and Kit made himself scarce.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as soon as Kit was gone.

"It just feels strange," Sam confessed.

Jake wasn't sure what he was seeing in her eyes.

"What feels strange?"

"This, us," Sam said. "Just a day or so ago I was trying to kill myself."

"Are we moving too quickly?" Jake wondered.

Sam shook her head, going to him. She looked into his face. His very closed up face.

"You're the one who was supposed to be married by now," Sam reminded him. "Do you think we are?"

Jake sighed. "I'm not…" He broke off.

"You're not what?" Sam asked.

He put his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Sam's arms snaked around his waist. One hand left her waist to brush back her hair from her face.

They stood together, neither saying anything out loud. They didn't have to, they were saying it all with their eyes. For Jake it was easier that way.

Sam threw her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to reach him. She nuzzled her lips into his neck, kissing him there. Jake shivered and raised his shoulder as the action tickled him. He felt her smile against his neck.

She pulled back and looked into his face. He gave her a very chaste kiss.

"I'll leave you to make your phone calls," Jake told her.

"I might not be making many," Sam responded, letting go of him and taking her phone out of her pink backpack. She pushed the button to turn it on. Just as she thought, the battery was dead.

"Dead," Sam sighed. "I've got a cord somewhere in my bag."

She grabbed her suitcase.

"Do you want to use my phone?" Jake held his out.

Sam looked at the phone, then up at him.

"Sure, if you don't mind," Sam nodded.

"'Course not, I offered didn't I?" Jake grinned at her.

"I promise I won't run up the bill," Sam promised taking the phone from him.

"Not a problem," Jake said with a grin. "Unlimited calling in the US."

Sam grinned back at him.

"I'll leave you alone," Jake turned towards the door.

"Not for long, I hope," Sam's voice was almost a whisper.

Jake turned back and looked at her.

"I might need more reassurance that this isn't all a dream," Sam said.

"You just want to pinch me again," Jake teased.

Sam snorted.

"Yeah, you're right, I do," Sam smiled at him.

Jake saw her brilliant smile and couldn't help smiling back at her. He took the few steps back to her, putting his hands on her cheeks and pressing his lips gently against hers. Sam answered his kiss.

"I'll see you later," Jake said against her mouth.

"Sooner rather than later," Sam responded.

Jake nodded and left her alone.

Sam rummaged through her suitcase finding all the cords she'd need to power up all the batteries for her various electrical gadgets.

First she plugged in her phone, then she found another plug for her laptop. Lastly, she plugged one of her camera batteries into another plug. Gosh, she felt naked without one of her electronics in her hand.

Then she called Johnny at the _Chronicle_.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Harris," Johnny answered his phone.

"Hi Johnny, it's Sam."

"Where are you Sam?" Johnny asked.

"I'm still in Hawaii," Sam told him.

"Why? You filed your story," Johnny said. "Another good one by the way."

"For fluff," Sam laughed softly.

"Yeah, for fluff," Johnny agreed. "You seem happy. You okay?"

Sam thought that should tell anyone how miserable she'd been. Johnny actually wondered if something was wrong because she had laughed.

"I'm good," Sam assured him. "I'm staying here for a few days. Something came up."

"You meet a man?" Johnny asked.

"Sorta," Sam responded.

"Sorta?" Johnny wondered.

"Old friend," Sam explained.

"Good old friend?"

"Yes, a very good old friend," Sam said.

"Okay, I'll make sure you get some vacation time," Johnny told her. "Any idea when you're coming back?"

"Not really," Sam admitted.

"You are coming back aren't you, Sam?"

"I don't know, Johnny," Sam was honest. "It's a bit complicated."

"Be careful, Forster," Johnny warned her. He had seen how fragile she was.

"I'm trying," Sam's voice was low. "It's very hard but I'm trying."

"Is this the guy you were with in college?" Johnny guessed.

"Yeah," Sam sighed.

"Oh gosh, you're sighing," Johnny laughed. "You're in trouble Forster."

"Yeah I am," Sam laughed with him.

"Enjoy your vacation," Johnny told her as they hung up.

Sam smiled as she disconnected Jake's phone. Next on her list to call was Jen. Sam dialed her number and waited while it rang.

"Hello?" Jen answered her phone.

"Hey," Sam greeted her friend.

"Sam? This isn't your number," Jen sounded confused.

"No, it's Jake's. My phone is dead."

"Jake?" Jen yelped. "You're with Jake?"

"Yes," Sam couldn't help the smile. "He didn't marry Dawn."

"Yeah, I know," Jen told her. "I tried calling you to tell you that. Your voice mail picked up."

"Oh," Sam was surprised. "I turned my phone off. I didn't want to hear about the wedding."

"I saw Jake the other day," Jen said.

"You did?"

"The day he was leaving," Jen told her. "He pulled up at Phil's at the same time Eric and I did. He asked me not to call you and tell you he was coming after you."

"He did?"

Sam felt the thrill run through her.

"For once, I listened to him," Jen laughed.

"I was a bit surprised," Sam said. "I thought he was there with Dawn and I fell and hit my head."

"Sam!" Jen yelped. "Are you all right?"

"I'm good," Sam assured her. "Jake stayed with me in the hospital last night."

"You were hospitalized?"

"I hit my head," Sam reminded her. "I have to be if I ever get a head injury. I had a cut on my head that was stitched up too."

"Oh my, Sam!" Jen yelped.

"I'm fine Jen, really," Sam told her.

"Jake stayed with you?" Jen asked.

"Yeah," Sam couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Stayed, stayed?" Jen had to ask.

"Jen!" Sam barked out a laugh. "No, not in a hospital."

"Wait, you're not there yet are you?" Jen was concerned. "Sam, take this slow."

"I'd marry him tomorrow if he asked me," Sam told her. "You know I've never stopped loving him."

"Wow, a couple of days ago he was supposed to marry someone else," Jen reminded her.

"But he didn't," Sam responded.

"But he was engaged," Jen insisted.

"He was also engaged to me at one time," Sam countered. "He believed I cheated on him. Jen, I believed I cheated on him."

Jen sighed. "I know. It still gives me nightmares to remember how you were when I found you the next morning."

Both friends were silent as they remembered.

"I'm happy the two of you seem to be working things out," Jen told Sam. "I just don't want this to be a rebound."

"I haven't rebounded," Sam reminded her. "I've only ever loved Jake."

"But can he say the same?" Jen asked gently.

"I know he loved Dawn," Sam sighed. "He wouldn't have asked her to marry him otherwise."

"Just be careful," Jen advised.

"I will, I promise," Sam responded. "Jen I love him."

"I know you do," Jen murmured. "I don't understand why, but I know you do." Jen started to laugh. Sam laughed with her.

"How's Eric?" Sam asked.

"Good," Jen sighed. "He's very, very good."

"This is coming close to too much info," Sam teased.

"Maybe, but it's good to hear you laugh," Jen replied.

"It's good to laugh," Sam said.

"I just don't want to see you the way you were," Jen shivered.

"No," Sam's voice was low. "It wasn't good on my birthday either."

"No, I imagine not," Jen said. "As long as you're okay."

"I'm okay, Jen," Sam assured her. "Really."

"Are you coming back home with Jake?" Jen asked.

"I don't know," Sam answered. "He hasn't asked me to. Otherwise no, I'll be going back to San Francisco."

Jen rubbed her forehead, worried what might happen to Sam if she went back to San Francisco without settling things with Jake.

"I better go," Sam said. "I'll call you maybe tomorrow. My phone should be charged up by then."

"Okay," Jen responded. "Take care and I really am glad for you, Sam."

"Thanks Jen," Sam smiled as she hung up Jake's phone.

Sam was glad for her too. Her smile widened as she left the room to find Jake.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Sam hugged Darby when she visited the ranch the next day.

"You weren't supposed to tell Kit," Sam said to her.

"I didn't," Darby grinned. "I told Cricket."

Sam laughed and Darby laughed with her.

"Technicality and it seemed to work out well," Darby stole a glance at Jake who was standing nearby talking with Kit, Jonah and Cade.

"So far," Sam nodded. She glanced at Jake.

Jake felt her eyes and looked over at her, a soft smile on his face.

"Gosh, I wish a guy would look at me like that," Darby sighed.

Sam returned Jake's soft smile. "Yeah it's kinda nice to see again."

"I bet," Darby said.

"You ready to ride, Sammy?" Kit asked.

Sam looked at him and nodded. She glanced at Jake.

"Put her up on Navigator," Jonah told Kit.

"Is he a plodder pony?" Sam laughed.

"He's the second best horse on the ranch," Darby said. "He's a great horse."

"Hoku wouldn't be the best horse now would she?" Sam asked with a smile.

"No wonder you're a good reporter," Darby laughed. "See you later and enjoy your ride."

Sam caught up with Jake.

"Are you nervous?" he asked softly as they followed Kit towards the pasture.

Startled, Sam looked up at him.

"I have to get used to you doing that again," Sam sighed.

"Are you?"

"A bit," Sam admitted. "I haven't ridden since I left Nevada."

"Not at all?" he asked.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Would you rather not go?" Jake asked.

"No, I want to go," Sam told him. "I just don't want to fall off."

Jake took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"You're a good rider," Jake assured her.

"Don't forget how many problems I had when I returned when I was fourteen," Sam reminded him.

"You can ride double with me," Jake offered.

Sam's smile was wide on her face as she looked up at him.

"I'd love to, but we don't know the land like we do at home," Sam said.

Jake nodded. He wondered if Nevada would be her home again. He hoped she'd come back with him.

"Jake," Kit got Jake's attention. He pointed at a big brown Quarter Horse. "That's Gator."

"Wait here I'll bring him to you," Jake said.

"I can catch my own horse," Sam put her hands on her hips.

"Wait here," Jake raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't be bumped around too much yet."

They squared off, both staring at the other.

"You were in the hospital," Jake reminded her.

Sam sighed. "You don't feel responsible do you?"

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, not answering. He didn't have to.

He headed out to catch Navigator. Sam waited by the gate for him to return with the horse she'd be riding.

Jake walked back with two horses. Sam watched him. He was a gorgeous man. She could see the muscles in his arms and chest under the t-shirt he wore.

Sam murmured her thanks when he handed her the lead rope.

"I'll saddle him for you," Jake offered.

Sam fidgeted as she stood. She started when she felt his hand grip her arm.

Her eyes flew to his. Jake thought she looked like a deer in the headlights.

He dipped his head to briefly capture her lips. Sam wanted to cling to them.

"Ready?" Jake asked.

Sam's eyes flew to his. Now his eyes were amused.

"To ride the horse, Brat," he said softly.

"Oh yeah, the horse," Sam giggled.

Jake gave her a tomcat grin as he helped her mount. Sam grunted as she got settled on the big Quarter Horse.

Jake helped her adjust her stirrups before he saddled and mounted the horse he would be riding.

"You two ready?" Kit was already mounted.

"Yeah, I think we are," Jake's eyes slid to Sam's.

Sam's mouth opened in an O, sure she wasn't imagining the double entendre.

"Let's ride," Kit said.

Sam and Jake reined their horses towards him and the three of them rode off.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Sam was stiff as she relaxed in the living room of Cricket's and Kit's house. They could all tell she was stiff from riding.

After they had ridden around the ranch, they had returned to the pasture. Sam's legs had given out when she had dismounted.

Jake had been right there, putting an arm around her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Rubber legs," Sam said.

"Yeah I saw," Jake nodded. "You'll do better next time."

Sam had nodded. "It's been awhile."

Now though, she sat on the couch next to Jake. Lucas had been put to bed for the night.

Jake's arm came around her as she sat there. She leaned into him.

"Sam, do you want to take a bubble bath?" Cricket asked.

Everyone saw Sam's eye light up.

"Come on, I'll show you where everything is," Cricket stood up.

It took Sam several tries to stand up. Finally, Jake stood and pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks," Sam laughed. She tried straightening up, but her lower back was stiff.

Cricket put an arm around her and helped Sam out of the room.

"How about a beer?" Kit asked.

"Sure," Jake said.

Kit got up, went to the kitchen and came back with a couple of bottles.

"How are you two doing?" Kit asked his little brother.

"So far we're good," Jake told him, taking a swig of the beer.

"Is she returning to Nevada with you?" Kit wondered.

"I don't know," Jake said, playing with the label on the bottle.

"So you two haven't….," Kit broke off.

"No," Jake shook his head. "I don't want to rush her."

"A week ago you were getting ready to marry someone else," Kit pointed out.

Jake's eyes flicked to Kit's.

"I know," Jake murmured, taking another sip of his beer.

"Can I give you some advice?" Kit asked.

Jake nodded.

"Don't let her go back to Frisco without you, Jakey," Kit told him. "Don't let her disappear on you. Settle things as quickly as you can. Get some type of answer or commitment from her before then. Otherwise, what's to keep her from staying there and your being in Nevada?"

Jake nodded again.

Cricket came back into the room.

"I'm going to bed," she told her husband. "This child of yours is making me tired."

"Okay honey," Kit said. "I'll be in, in a second."

"Goodnight Jake," Cricket smiled at her brother-in-law.

"'Night Cricket," Jake returned.

"I just don't want the two of you hurting again," Kit continued.

"I know, me either," Jake said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good man, Jakey," Kit stood up. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks Kit," Jake told him, finishing up his beer.

He decided to head for the room he was sleeping in. Jake went down the hallway.

Was the bathroom door open? It was.

Jake stopped, looking into the bathroom, seeing Sam relaxing in the bubbles of her bath.

"Feel good?" Jake had to ask.

Sam squealed in surprise, opening her eyes to meet his.

"Gosh you scared me," Sam tried getting her breathing under control.

"Sorry," Jake told her.

"To answer your question, yes it does," Sam smiled at him. "I don't want to admit how stiff I am."

"You'll get used to riding again," Jake said, leaning against the doorjamb.

Sam nodded.

Jake looked at her as she sat in the tub. The bubbles came up to the top of her breasts. He was very aware that she was naked under those bubbles.

Suddenly Sam seemed to realize it and she blushed. She looked down, checking the bubbles before her eyes rose to meet his. She saw the heat in his gaze.

Sam felt that heat.

"I'll let you enjoy your bath," Jake eased away from the doorjamb. He was gone before she could form the words to keep him there.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Jake's eyes opened. Had that been Sam calling out? He lay in the darkness and heard the cry again.

Jake was up and out of bed in an instant, pulling on his jeans before jerking open the door. He heard the cry of "no" again and headed for Sam's room.

Opening the door he saw her thrashing on the bed, obviously in the grip of some type of nightmare. He moved towards her.

"Shhh Brat, it's all right," Jake sat down on the bed next to her, gently touching her bare shoulder.

"No Jake, no," Sam muttered in her sleep. Her hand clutched his arm, trying to keep him there in her dream.

"It's all right," he crooned to her. "I'm here, Samantha."

Sam jerked awake.

"Jake?" her voice was rough with sleep.

"Yeah, I'm here," Jake's voice was soft.

"Oh my gosh," Sam bounced up, crawling up his body as she tried to get close to him. He stood up and she crawled up the rest of him, kneeling on the bed as his arms held her close. "I dreamt you weren't really here. You left me."

"I'm here and I'm not leaving you," Jake assured her, his voice still crooning, comforting.

She nuzzled into his neck, her arms around him as she drank in his scent. Jake was very aware of just the thin tank top between his chest and hers.

As he hugged her close to him, soothing her, he could feel the difference in her body. She was softer, her muscles not hard with use as they had been. His hands rubbed her back, pressing her closer to him. Her body fit against his and he almost groaned out loud. She fit him perfectly.

"Hold me, Jake," Sam whispered.

"I am holding you, Brat," Jake whispered back.

"Hold me through the night, Jake," Sam begged.

"I will," Jake promised, holding her tightly.

Sam's mouth came down on his and he answered her kiss. Their lips moved over that of the other.

When her tongue came out to sweep over his bottom lip, Jake couldn't help the sigh as he met it with his. Sam whimpered against his mouth.

Jake laid her on the bed and made her his again.

He had truly come home and for the first time in years, the two of them felt a quiet peace.

They lay together afterwards, Jake holding her in his arms as she nuzzled into his neck. She felt so perfect there he couldn't help the contented sigh.

"I didn't think I'd ever make love again," Sam murmured.

"You haven't?" Jake asked, quietly.

She shook her head. "I decided if I couldn't have you, I didn't want anyone else. I shut off that part of me."

My gosh, her love for him, for what they'd had, humbled him. His arms tightened around her as he felt the emotion well up in him.

"I love you, Brat," Jake whispered in the darkness.

"I love you, Jake," Sam answered him. "I've never stopped loving you. Even when I thought I had betrayed you and you hated me, I loved you. I've only ever loved you."

He couldn't say the same. He _had_ loved Dawn. It hadn't been the all consuming love he felt for Sam, but it had been love.

"It's all right," she whispered into his neck. She knew he loved Dawn. It was all right with her as long as he loved _her_ now.

Jake simply nodded, again humbled and a bit overwhelmed by her. She was comforting him now. He had come in here to comfort her and she had completely turned the tables on him.

She rolled over onto her back and brought him with her. Her small hand brushed through his coarse, black hair.

My gosh, he had indeed come home. As he lay his head down on her, relaxing against her he felt such a peace. He had missed her more than he had known.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Kit was right. He couldn't let her return to San Francisco without him. Jake would be lost if Sam wasn't in his life. It would be worse than before. Now that they had rekindled their love, he wouldn't survive without it. It was a miracle he had survived without it the first time.

He lifted his head and she looked down at him, surprised.

"Marry me, Samantha," he murmured.

Jake could tell he had shocked her. He felt her intake of breath.

She had told Jen she would marry him tomorrow if he asked her to. She hadn't really expected him to. Not so soon.

"Why?" she had to ask.

Jake had to smile. Nothing was easy with her. He didn't want easy. He wanted his Brat.

"You better not be laughing at me, Jake Ely," Sam warned him. She had felt his lips curve into a smile.

"I'm not," Jake told her. He rolled over onto his back next to her. Their sides touched, but they weren't embracing.

How could he tell her since he had never been good with words? Still, somehow he had to. He didn't think he had to convince her, he knew, somehow he knew, that she just wanted to hear his reasoning.

Jake knew he could probably tell her physically, but that wasn't what she wanted. He couldn't help the soft smile. It hadn't taken long for them to know and to understand each other again. As it should be. As it always should have been.

Sam could almost hear his brain thinking. He wasn't sure what to say. Words weren't where he was strong, but she needed to hear the words from him.

"You were marrying her," Sam helped him. "Why me, now?

Jake took a breath, loving her even more for helping him.

"Because I realize now how much we fit," Jake said softly. "I would have lived with her for the rest of my life and been happy, but I really wouldn't be truly happy."

"You were going to marry her," Sam said again.

"Yes," Jake almost whispered.

"Why me, now?" Sam asked again.

"Because I found my soulmate when I was six," Jake said. "Didn't you?"

"Not when I was six," Sam teased.

Jake had to smile. Sam smiled next to him.

"You don't think of her?" Sam had to ask.

"Not really," Jake answered her. "When I'm with you, I can only think of you. You're the one I've always wanted to spend my life with."

"But I blew that," Sam murmured.

"You _thought_ you did," Jake corrected.

"_You_ thought I did," Sam said.

"Only because you told me you did," Jake responded.

"Jen begged me to call you and apologize," Sam sighed. "I told her it wouldn't make a difference. Loyalty is important to you and I had committed the ultimate betrayal of that loyalty."

Jake nodded. "But you didn't."

"No, I didn't," Sam nodded. "I wouldn't."

Sam felt the tears in her eyes. No she wouldn't have. Jake had meant so much to her she never even looked at another man. She'd had no desire to be with someone else. She had only wanted Jake. She only wanted Jake, still.

She felt his hand stroke her face. Sam turned towards him then, her lips finding his.

"It's okay now," Jake's voice was so tender, so loving.

She could only nod. She was overcome with the love she had for him. It trickled out of her eyes as she cried against him. She knew what she had lost. She had almost killed herself over losing him.

He pulled her over him, his mouth touching hers. She lay against him as she sobbed. Jake felt the emotion and his tears mixed with hers. They held each other as their hearts beat as one, throbbing against the others' chest.

Their bodies healed, their souls healed. Sam healed Jake's wounds. Jake healed Sam's.

They were together again, as both of them felt it should be. Silently, without words, with just their bodies, they vowed to each other never to be apart again.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

They woke up in each other's arms, the Hawaiian sunlight streaming in through the windows. Sam groaned, her muscles sore again. Between riding the horse and being with Jake again, her body was protesting its overuse. Sam didn't care. She wouldn't have traded last night for anything, certainly not for the soreness she was feeling this morning.

She looked up, seeing his dark brown eyes watching her. She couldn't help the smile or how her hand reached up to stroke his dark face.

"I love you," Sam whispered.

"I adore you, Brat," Jake whispered back.

"Yes, I will," Sam whispered, her eyes locked on his.

He didn't need to ask what she was agreeing to. He just knew. Just as he knew everything about her. He had always known everything about her.

"Here?" Jake asked.

That surprised her and her eyes widened.

"Or do you want to wait until we get back to Nevada?" he wondered.

"No," Sam shook her head. "I have no where to go in Nevada if I return with you."

"You have Three Ponies," Jake reminded her.

"But I couldn't if we weren't married," Sam said.

"Yes, you could," Jake disagreed. "I'm the only one living in the main house. We have five other rooms."

"I don't want to live in another room," Sam told him. "I want to hold you all night long like I did last night."

"I believed I held you last night," Jake corrected her with a soft smile.

"Oh no, I held you," Sam teased.

"Uh uh, Brat," Jake shook his head. "I held you."

"Hmmm," Sam smiled at him. "Can I hold you now?"

"Always," Jake chuckled.

"I thought so," Sam smiled against his mouth as she kissed him.

Suddenly she froze.

"What's wrong?" Jake looked at her. Her eyes were wide with an emotion Jake wasn't sure about.

Her wide eyes met his.

"I just realized and remembered that I'm not on the pill," Sam squeaked out.

"You're not?" Jake asked.

Sam shook her head. "There was no reason to be."

He nodded. "Then I guess it's a good thing we're getting married, huh?"

Sam looked at him in surprise. "You're not mad?"

"At what?" it was Jake's turn to be surprised. "That you might one day be carrying my child? Brat, I'd be thrilled. I don't want you being upset if you're pregnant so soon."

"I was created for you, Jake," Sam told him. "I was created to carry your children."

"My gosh, I love you, Samantha Anne," Jake could only whisper.

"Good," Sam smiled against his mouth.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"About time you two came up for air," Kit teased when Sam and Jake came out hand in hand a bit later.

Sam blushed. Jake grinned.

"Kit," Cricket scolded her husband but she was smiling.

"I'm about to leave for the ranch," Kit told Jake. "You want to come along?"

Jake looked at Sam.

"Go ahead," Sam urged him.

"Sam can come with me to the store," Cricket offered.

Sam smiled at the other woman and nodded.

"Just don't overdue it," Jake said to her. "Remember your head."

"I won't and I will," Sam nodded.

Kit kissed his wife goodbye and Jake kissed Sam.

"Give some thought to what we decided last night, okay?" he whispered.

"Okay," Sam nodded. "Be careful today."

"I will," Jake promised.

Sam watched as he walked out of the house and couldn't help the smile. Cricket saw it and smiled too. Sam glanced at Cricket seeing the smile and the two women started to laugh.

"You got it bad," Cricket teased.

"I've always had it bad," Sam admitted. "You have no idea how much I've missed him."

"Yes I do," Cricket told her, putting an arm around her. "I could tell something was missing from your life when I saw you at the ranch."

Sam lifted her eyes to Cricket's.

"The light was gone from your eyes," Cricket explained. "You didn't really have a reason for living. Now you have that spark in your eyes again.

"You're back to being the woman you were when I met you for the first time."

She looked down at Sam's thin body.

"Well, on the inside maybe," Cricket teased. "You're pretty scrawny on the outside. We need to get more meat on your bones."

"I haven't had much appetite," Sam admitted. "I didn't care if I lived or not."

"I know," Cricket picked up Sam's wrist and traced the cut there. "I recognized the signs even before this."

Sam nodded.

"And now?" Cricket asked.

"Now, I do," Sam told her. "Jake asked me to marry him again. I want to."

"That's great, Sam," Cricket hugged her. "You two belong together."

"Did you like her?" Sam asked. "Dawn."

Cricket sighed. "Yes I did, but I was sad too. Sad because of what happened between the two of you. We all were."

"Do you think the family will resent me?" Sam wondered. "Will they think Jake rushed into this?"

"No and no," Cricket told her. "You've been a member of that family longer than any of us."

"Yeah but…," Sam began. Cricket cut her off.

"But you didn't," Cricket reminded her. "We all thought you did and resented the hurt Jake went through because of it. I never hated you. I hated what had happened, but it didn't seem like you. Now I know for sure it wasn't."

Sam nodded.

Cricket could see Sam was still worried. She told the younger woman about the conversation the Ely family had when they realized Jake was coming back to Hawaii with her and Kit.

Sam's eyes welled up with tears, especially at Quinn's reaction.

"So you see?" Cricket said. "They will be happy to see you, especially when they see how happy Jake is."

"You think he's happy?" Sam asked.

"Sam, he's beyond happy," Cricket told her with a laugh. "He's gone beyond happy to ecstatic. As ecstatic as Jake can be. He doesn't show much."

"No, he doesn't," Sam laughed. "When do you want to leave for the store?"

"As soon as you're ready," Cricket said. "Lucas is with the babysitter, so we can go any time."

"There's something I'm going to need your help with," Sam told her.

"What's that?" Cricket asked.

"I want to marry Jake here," Sam said. "The place where we reconnected. Will you be my Maid of Honor?"

"I'd be honored," Cricket hugged Sam. "Though I think that's Matron of Honor in my case."

"I don't care what it's called as long as you'll do it," Sam laughed.

"Gladly," Cricket told her.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Sam's phone signaled a text message a bit later. She didn't recognize the number, but she looked at the text.

_No Me Without U by Mat Pokora_

It was from Jake. She hadn't had his new number, but she quickly programmed it into her phone.

She stared at the text message. They used to send each other songs that meant something to them, all the time in the past.

She sighed remembering, not realizing how much she had missed it until now.

"Cricket, do you have an Internet connection here?" Sam asked.

"Sure, the computer's in the back room," Cricket pointed.

"Thanks, I'll be back in a minute," Sam told her.

Sam found the song on YouTube and sat back to listen to it.

Sam wiped the tears from her face. She opened her phone.

_I 3 u_

A text came through a few seconds later.

_I adore u_

She had to wipe more tears.

_RU crying?_

Sam bit back a laugh.

_Yes_

_Don't, it's ok now_

_Yes it is_

Sam smiled through her tears. Then she thought of a song she had heard and typed the name and band in a text.

_Whatever It Takes by Lifehouse_

_I'll check it out when I can. _

_Ok. 3 u!_

_3 u 2_

Sam sat, her arms around herself for a moment. She couldn't help the soft smile. It sure hadn't taken long for her and Jake to fall back into their routines.

She shook herself and went back to the front of the store.

"You're smiling," Cricket observed. "Have you been talking to Jake?"

"Guilty," Sam's smile grew.

"I have a friend who is licensed to do weddings," Cricket told her. "Nothing too fancy, but it's legal."

"Sounds like my kind of thing," Sam said. "I'm sure they're still doing damage control from…" She looked at Cricket.

"You're probably right," Cricket nodded.

"I'm surprised my family hasn't called to tell me," Sam mused.

"Maybe Maxine told them he was on his way here?" Cricket wondered.

Sam hadn't thought of that. She bet Cricket was right.

Sam helped Cricket in the store all day. Cricket was getting tired because of her pregnancy, so Sam did the things for her that Cricket couldn't do for herself.

Sam urged Cricket to relax for awhile, that she would take care of the store. Cricket gave her a hug and went into the back room, shutting the door behind her. Sam hoped Cricket would take a nap or at least put her feet up for a short time.

It was busy in the store and Sam enjoyed waiting on Cricket's customers. Just before closing time, Cricket came back out. Sam thought she looked tired.

"Were you able to get some sleep?" Sam asked.

"Some," Cricket nodded. "Little bugger was busy today." She rubbed her belly.

"Do you like being pregnant?" Sam wondered.

"I love it," Cricket smiled. "I'm doing what I was meant to do, be a mom."

Sam nodded a soft smile on her face.

"I lost my mom when I was four," Sam murmured.

"Oh Sam, I'm sorry," Cricket put her arm around her. "Kit told me that before. It must have been so hard for you."

"Kit's family helped," Sam said. "It was one of the reasons I felt so lost when…"

"We'll you're not lost anymore," Cricket reminded her with a smile.

"No," Sam smiled back.

"While I was resting I called my friend," Cricket told her. "He's game whenever you decide you want to."

"I'll talk to Jake about it tonight," Sam promised.

Cricket gave her another hug.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Sam was sitting out on Cricket's and Kit's deck in a chair sipping iced tea when she felt him behind her. She turned, smiling at him and noticed he was limping.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting straighter in the chair.

"Nothin'," Jake assured her.

"You're paying for cutting off your cast," Sam realized, giving him a look.

"I was sixteen and stupid," Jake shrugged.

He bent down to give her a kiss.

"Stand up," Jake told her.

Sam stood up and Jake sat in the chair, bringing her down to sit on his lap. He kissed her mouth again. Sam offered him her glass of iced tea and he took a sip before handing it back to her.

"Won't I hurt your leg?" Sam asked.

"Nah," Jake shook his head, putting an arm around her. "You'll make me feel better."

She nuzzled into his neck.

"You smell like you again," Jake commented.

"I went out and bought some lotion," Sam admitted with a blush.

"I like the way you smell, Brat," Jake reminded her. "Either with lotion or without."

"So what did you do today?" Sam asked.

"Helped Kit with his mare," Jake responded. "She makes Witch look tame."

"You'll be careful around her?"

"'Course," Jake nodded. "Oh, Darby wants you to come for a ride tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Sam looked at him.

He shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."

Sam leaned back into his chest. He felt her relax.

"I need to get back," Jake told her.

At first Sam wasn't sure what he meant. She thought he meant to help Kit. Then it dawned on her.

"To Nevada," she said.

Jake nodded. "Roundup is gonna be startin'."

Sam didn't say anything. She felt the deep breath that Jake took and knew there was more.

"Will you come back with me?" Jake asked.

Sam knew how much his asking cost him.

"Are you sure you want me to?" Sam asked a question of her own. "I bring a lot of baggage with me."

"I have a big truck," Jake teased.

"You know what they say about guys with big trucks," Sam teased back.

Jake chuckled.

"I'm not sure even your big truck is big enough for all my baggage," Sam mused.

"Is there anything you haven't told me?" Jake wondered.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Then I can handle your baggage," Jake told her. His mouth kissed the top of her head.

Sam sighed. Jake thought it was a huge sigh.

"I listened to the song, by the way," Jake said.

Sam lifted her eyes to his.

"Not an appropriate song," Jake told her. "You don't need to do anything else."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"You've already did enough," Jake replied.

"Yeah, I'll say," Sam grumbled.

"Brat, you love me," Jake said. "You've already did what you could to turn this around."

Sam looked away.

Jake took her chin in his hand, making her look at him.

"I believe one line is '_I know that I've let you down'_ and I'm telling you that you didn't," Jake went on.

"I love you, you know," Sam leaned forward to kiss his full mouth.

"I adore you, you know," Jake countered.

Sam smiled against his mouth.

"So will you?" Jake asked.

Sam's smile faded. "Go back with you?"

Jake nodded.

"Cricket has a friend who will marry us here," Sam told him.

Jake smiled. "Then you will?"

"Will what?" Sam asked. "Marry you or go back with you?"

"Both," Jake said.

Sam looked into his face, seeing him blank out his expression. Sam frowned and Jake opened himself back up for her.

She saw the love he had for her. She didn't see any type of condemnation, hesitation or wariness in his dark brown eyes.

Jake saw the wariness in her own brown eyes disappear as she nodded.

"To….," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Both," Sam answered.

Jake tightened his arms around her.

"You won't regret it, sweetheart," Jake promised.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"You'll be careful?" Jake asked her the next day as they got out of the Avalanche at the ranch.

"Will you?" Sam countered.

"Always," Jake assured her.

"Oh, how can you say that with a straight face?" Sam scoffed. "Need I remind you about your cast?"

"No, the leg is doing a fine job of that all on its own," Jake told her.

"I'm sorry," Sam murmured.

Jake shrugged. "Just promise me you'll take it a bit easy today. Remember you recently had a head injury."

"I will, I promise," Sam smiled at him.

His own smile was soft.

"I love you," they both said quietly at the same time.

They both smiled.

Jake quickly put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, where the stitches were.

"See you later," Jake murmured.

"Okay," Sam said, watching him walk away. She couldn't help the sigh. He was so gorgeous.

"Sam," Sam heard her name and turned.

Darby was coming towards her with two other women. One had a head full of red curly hair. The other had black hair that was dyed with streaks of reddish-pink.

"Sam?" the red head squealed.

Sam nodded, tilting her head at the other.

"It's me, Ann," the red head pointed at herself. "Ann Potter."

"Oh my gosh, Ann!" Sam squealed too.

The two women hugged the other, jumping up and down as they did.

"Looks like Sammy's happy," Kit remarked as he and his youngest brother watched. Jake had heard Sam's name and turned to watch.

"Yeah," Jake nodded, flicking his eyes to Kit's.

"You happy?" Kit asked.

"Yeah," Jake nodded again.

"You look happy," Kit told him. "You look more relaxed around the eyes."

"I love her, Kit," Jake shrugged.

"You always have," Kit murmured, still watching his brother. "I remember when Sammy went to the fair with us right after her mom died. You were possessive of her even then. Adam and I joked that you had already staked your claim to her."

Jake smiled faintly.

"I probably did," Jake said. "I didn't know it then, but I probably did."

"I'm glad the two of you made it through all this," Kit clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Me too," Jake nodded, glancing back at Sam.

"Do you remember Ann Potter?" Kit asked as he too watched the women.

"Not really," Jake shook his head. "I remember she was a friend of Sam's. She gave me a valentine once."

"She did?" Kit laughed. "I bet that ticked off Sammy. She was possessive of you too back then."

Jake nodded.

"Come on, let's go see my mare," Kit said and the two men went towards the pen.

"Wow, he's dreamy," Ann nodded her head towards Kit and Jake.

"Who? Kit?" Darby yelped.

"Ann has a crush on Kit?" Megan, the other woman teased.

"No, the other one," Ann sighed.

"Jake?" Sam looked at the woman who had been her friend in grade school, back to Jake.

"That's Jake?" Ann asked. She turned amused eyes to Sam. "You claimed him back in kindergarten. You still have him, huh?"

Sam smiled softly. Her eyes flicked to Darby's. Obviously she hadn't told Ann that Sam and Jake had been apart for so long.

"Yeah, I claimed him way back in kindergarten," Sam nodded. "I've loved him ever since."

"You were engaged the last time we talked," Ann reminded her.

"We're getting married tomorrow," Sam told her.

"You are?" Darby grabbed Sam's arm, excited for her.

Sam nodded.

"Oh Sam," Darby couldn't help the hug. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you Darby," Sam murmured to her, meaning every word.

Darby understood Sam's gratitude since she was the one who had told Cricket about what had truly happened to Sam.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"You look tired," Jake said later as he came back in from a shower. His black hair was damp as he took off his jeans and climbed under the covers with Sam.

"I am a bit," Sam admitted.

"Did you overdo it?" Jake asked.

"I didn't think I did," Sam said.

She snuggled into his chest as he put an arm around her. She turned into him. Their lips met briefly.

"You're gonna fall asleep in the middle of your wedding tomorrow," Jake teased.

"Just elbow me when it's time for me to say my vows," Sam teased back and Jake chuckled.

He wrapped both of his strong arms around her.

"I do love you, baby," Jake murmured. He felt Sam go still.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked. He heard her sniffle.

"Sam?"

She turned her tear filled eyes to look into his face.

"What?" Jake inquired.

Sam tried to get control of her tears before she answered him. She shook her head.

"Am I hurting you?" Jake made to move away from her.

"No!" Sam managed to squeak out through her tears. She wiped her tears from her face.

"Then what's wrong, sweetheart?" Jake's voice softened, causing Sam to start sobbing.

Jake had no clue what was wrong. He decided to wait her out until she had enough control that she could talk. He tightened his arms around her again and touched his cheek to the top of her head.

"I-I n-n-ev-v-ver th-th-thought you'd ev-ever c-call m-me b-b-bab-by again," Sam managed to get out.

_She was right_, Jake thought. He never thought he would again either. It was miracle that the two of them were together again. This time though, they'd never be separated again.

"You used to get mad at me when I called you that when we were younger," Jake tried to lighten her mood.

"Y-y-you d-d-didn't mean it af-f-fectionately t-then," Sam reminded him, wiping her tears.

"Sure I did, Brat," Jake laughed softly.

"S-sure you did," Sam rolled her eyes.

"You just rolled your eyes didn't you?" Jake's laughter was more boisterous.

"Would I do that?" Sam asked, then she giggled.

"I think you just answered that," Jake responded. The two of them laughed together.

"You better get some sleep," Jake told her.

"I'd rather do something else," Sam nuzzled his lips.

"Not until we're married," Jake shook his head as he kissed her.

"What?" Sam yelped.

"You can wait that long, Brat," Jake said. She heard the amusement in his voice.

"Says who?" Sam retorted, causing Jake to burst out laughing.

"It's twenty four hours," Jake reminded her.

"Nothing?" Sam whined.

"I want it to be special," Jake responded.

"It will still be special if you give me a preview," Sam insisted.

"Go to sleep now, Samantha Anne," Jake said.

Sam moved over him and Jake chuckled.

"Not gonna work, Brat," Jake told her and Sam bet he had his smug tomcat lying in the sun grin on his handsome face.

"I bet it would," Sam's small hands stroked his body.

"Sam," Jake's voice was no longer amused.

"Jake," Sam's voice was almost a coo.

"I will go in the other room if you keep this up," Jake told her.

"You're serious?"

When he didn't say anything, she stopped, grumbling at him under her breath.

"Good night," Sam muttered, settling against him.

"'Night Brat," Jake's voice didn't sound like him.

He couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. He had indeed come home.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Happy wedding day, Jakey," Kit greeted his youngest brother the next day at breakfast.

Jake couldn't help the wide smile that spread over his face.

"You look pretty happy," Kit noted, smiling at Jake.

"I am," Jake confirmed.

"How's Sammy?" Kit asked.

"Ticked," Jake laughed, helping himself to come coffee.

"Uh oh," Kit raised one of his eye brows.

"I told her last night she had to wait until we were married," Jake grinned.

"Oh my gosh," Kit started to laugh. "Didn't go over well, huh?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "Not last night and not this morning."

"Gotta tell you little man," Kit caught Jake's eye. "I didn't think you two would ever get here."

Jake shook his head and Kit could see how emotional Jake was at the thought.

"You loved her though," Kit murmured and Jake knew he wasn't talking about Sam now but Dawn.

"I did," Jake nodded. "I would have been happy with her. I loved her."

"I know," Kit said. "You wouldn't have gotten engaged to her otherwise. My gosh, Jakey. You were within two days of marrying her."

"I know," Jake looked shaken.

"Now though," Kit grinned. "Today you're marrying your little sister."

The two men laughed.

"Yeah I am," Jake nodded.

"Nervous?" Kit wondered.

"Not a bit," Jake shook his head. "I don't expect to see _help me_ on the bottom of my shoes either."

"Was that brilliant on Bryan's part or what?" Kit started to laugh. "I gotta tell you, they had done it to your shoes."

"They did?" Jake was surprised.

"Yeah, Quinn was quite ticked that he had to take it off before anyone saw it and took back the tuxedos," Kit said.

Jake shook his head.

"Good morning," Sam came into the kitchen. She kissed Kit and then Jake before heading to the coffee maker.

"Is the bride supposed to see the groom before the wedding?" Kit teased.

"This one is," Sam grumbled with a dirty look at Jake.

Kit snorted.

"I can't seem to do anything else," Sam continued to grumble. "So why not see the groom?"

"Brat," Jake tried to hold in his amusement.

"Jake," Sam sing-songed right back at him.

"I'm out of here," Kit started to laugh as he left the kitchen.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Jake asked. "You're getting married today."

"Gee, I wonder why I'm grumpy," Sam gave him a look. "You've never turned me down before."

"It will be the last time, I promise," Jake put his arms around her.

"No champagne," Sam shook her head with a grimace.

"They already bought it," Jake took a step away from her to open the refrigerator door.

Sam groaned and looked up at him. Jake's eyes were dancing with merriment. His darn mustang eyes!

"Are we staying here tonight?" Sam asked.

"No," Jake shook his head. "We'll stay at the hotel."

"Convenient," Sam laughed.

"The room even has a table," Jake teased, then flinched when she hit him.

"Gosh, I even hate to admit this, because I know it's going to come back to haunt me, but I have missed your hitting me, sweetheart," Jake wrapped her in his arms.

Their mouths met briefly, then again more passionately.

"You're going to be my wife in a few hours," Jake murmured against her lips.

"Yes, I am," Sam nibbled his mouth. "Are you nervous?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "It's right."

Sam nodded. It was very right. They both felt how right this was.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"This is a bit unconventional, huh?" Jake said to Sam as they followed Cricket, Kit and Lucas to the place the two of them were getting married.

"What's that?" Sam looked over at him.

"I'm driving you to where we're getting married," Jake clarified.

"Well, who else is gonna drive me?" Sam teased.

"Nobody," Jake laughed. "Never mind."

"Jake, I don't care who drives me to marry you as long as I get to marry you," Sam told him softly.

Their eyes met and softened. Both were feeling the _what ifs_ today. What if Sam hadn't told Darby who had told Cricket? What if Cricket hadn't told Kit? What if Jake had married Dawn?

Neither wanted to think about the _what ifs_. It was too painful for both of them. They had both vowed to only think of the future together from now on. Not the past. Not what had happened to Sam. Not that Jake almost married someone else. Just the future. Just _their_ future.

Kit pulled off to the side of the road ahead of them and Jake pulled up behind him.

"Ready?" Jake turned to Sam.

She raised her eyes to his. Everything he felt for her was there in his eyes. It took her breath away.

"Yes, I'm ready," Sam almost whispered. She couldn't find her voice. She was starting to feel overcome with emotions.

Jake saw it.

"I love you, Samantha Anne," Jake told her softly.

"I know and I love you too, Jacob Dylan," she whispered. Sam quickly wiped her eyes.

"Let's go get married," Jake said and Sam nodded.

They both got out of the navy Avalanche. Jake waited for her to come around the truck and took her hand.

"Somehow I remember _someone_ saying they'd never get married in a dress," Kit was smiling at the two of them.

"Who did? Me?" Sam looked from Kit to Jake.

"After Stanley Longsworth lifted up your dress when you were in the third grade," Jake explained.

"Wow, you remember his name?" Sam was impressed.

Kit snorted. "He should, he beat the crap out of him afterwards."

Sam's eyes flew to Jake's whose eyes were dancing with amusement.

"You did?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Jake grinned.

"Even then," Sam murmured.

"Even then," Jake nodded.

"We'll meet you two up there," Kit nodded towards where they were going.

"We'll be right there," Jake promised.

He watched his brother, his brother's wife and his brother's son walk up the path. Then his eyes looked at the woman who would be his wife in a few minutes.

"Come here," Jake held out his arms and Sam walked into them.

His large hands gently smoothed back her auburn hair.

"I've loved you my whole life, Brat," Jake told her.

"I knew you did, but sometimes it still surprises me," Sam gently wiped her eyes with her fingertips.

"Even…," Jake looked away.

"I'm sorry I hurt you so badly," Sam murmured.

Jake looked back at her out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

"It's over now," he kissed her forehead.

"Hey!" they both turned at hearing Kit's voice. "Know anyone who wants to get married today?"

""Yeah, yeah," Sam shouted back at him.

"Come on," Jake took her hand and started towards his brother.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

"Do you, Samantha Anne, take Jacob Dylan as your lawfully wedded husband?" the person performing the wedding asked.

Sam and Jake were standing on a cliff, overlooking the ocean as they said their vows.

"I do," Sam could barely whisper.

Her eyes were locked on Jake's. She found herself drowning in his dark brown eyes.

"Do you Jacob Dylan, take Samantha Anne as your lawfully wedded wife?" he was asked.

"I do," Jake's voice was as soft as a whisper as he answered.

_Forever Brat_, he told her with his eyes.

Sam felt the tiny prickle in her eyes as her tears threatened to spill down her face. Jake's eyes looked suspiciously moist to Sam too.

"With the power vested in me by the great state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife," Cricket's friend said.

"For real?" Sam looked from Jake to Cricket's friend.

"For real," she was assured.

Jake's hands cupped her face as he kissed her, Sam's lips clinging to his. Her arms came around his neck as she hugged him close to her.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear.

"I adore you, Brat," Jake whispered against her mouth.

The two of them looked into the eyes of the other, committing themselves, devoting themselves completely to the other.

"Hot damn!" Kit shouted, causing everyone to look at him.

"Kit," Cricket tried to shush her husband.

"I don't want to ever hear you say that," Cricket was saying to her young son.

Jake laughed and Sam giggled.

"Time for me to officially welcome Sammy to the family," Kit elbowed his little brother out of the way.

He put his arms around Sam and kissed her, then hugged her.

"Welcome Sammy," Kit told her. "About damn time."

"Kit!" Cricket rolled her eyes.

Kit just laughed.

"Thanks Kit," Sam murmured, hugging her big brother.

"He claimed you way back when you came to the fair with us, it's nice to see you two finally married," Kit told her.

"Oh he did?" Sam flicked her eyes to her new husband.

Jake was rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yep," Kit grinned at Jake.

Jake's eyes met Sam's and she saw the truth in Kit's words. They had always teased each other about finding their soulmates so young. In their case it had been true.

Sam felt the love for this man wash over her. She had loved him her whole life, not always realizing just how much she did love him and now, finally, she was married to him.

She saw the love he had for her reflected back at her.

"If Kit is done monopolizing you," Cricket teased, hugging Sam. "Congratulations, Sam."

"Thanks Cricket," Sam hugged her new sister-in-law. "Thank you for everything."

"When are you two going back to Nevada?" Kit asked as Jake took Sam's hand.

"We're flying to San Francisco tomorrow," Jake said, looking down at Sam.

"All my stuff is there," Sam nodded.

"Then we'll drive to Reno and pick up my truck," Jake went on. "Then home."

"I need to stop at River Bend," she lifted her eyes to his.

"'Course," Jake nodded.

"You haven't seen your family…," Kit broke off.

"Not since I left college," Sam said.

"You two will have to come back soon and have a proper honeymoon," Cricket told them.

"Oh trust me, honey," Kit grinned. "I bet they'll have a proper honeymoon tonight."

Sam blushed as Kit's grin widened.

"Come on, we need some pictures of this happy event," Cricket was waving her camera around.

Sam and Jake posed for pictures there on the edge of the cliff. In one, Sam had turned in his arms to look up into his handsome face. Cricket snapped and knew it would be one that would be framed in all of the Ely households.

"Come on, let's go home and celebrate," Cricket said when she was finished, leading the way back to the vehicles. Kit picked up Lucas and let him ride on his shoulders.

"They're going to make me drink champagne aren't they?" Sam mumbled to Jake as the two of them walked hand and hand.

"Just take a couple of sips," Jake said.

Sam gave him a look. "You're actually going to drink it?"

"I don't know," Jake admitted. "I still get a headache just looking at the stuff, but I did like having fun with you at the time." He grinned at her.

Sam gave him a look, making Jake suck in a breath. My gosh he was actually married to this incredibly sexy woman.

He needed to talk to her sometime about a ring. Jake wasn't sure if he'd offer her the engagement ring he had in his drawer or get her something else. He'd leave it to her, but he did need to bring it up sometime.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Sam took a sip of the champagne at Kit's and Cricket's. Even though it was just them and Lucas, Jake's brother and sister-in-law had gotten food and drink and put it all out on the table.

Kit insisted on making the toast and wouldn't let Sam drink ginger ale instead of the champagne. She did like the taste of it, just not the after effects. Sam saw Jake take a healthy drink of the stuff. Sam shrugged and finished off her glass. Kit grinned at her. Sam couldn't help the blush.

"He knows about the table doesn't he?" Sam said to Jake later.

"Prolly," Jake laughed. "I'll keep you from throwing yourself on Kit's table if you want to drink the champagne."

He laughed harder when she hit him.

Cricket took pictures of them when they cut the small cake that she had bought for the occasion. Neither the bride nor the groom agreed with the habit of smashing cake into each others' faces, so they just gave each other a small bite. Besides, Jake knew Sam would pay him back dearly if he smashed cake in her face. He didn't call her Brat for nothing.

"I'll be right back," Jake said, excusing himself.

Sam couldn't help watching him walk away from her. My gosh, she was finally married to Jake! Just a week ago she thought she'd never be happy again and here she was, married to the love of her life.

Unwanted tears stung her eyes.

"Are you all right, Sammy?" Kit asked softly.

Sam nodded. How could she explain? She had been devastated. Now she was so happy this feeling should be illegal.

She felt Kit's arms around her and she leaned her head against her big brother's chest. Just like the first time she had met him eighteen years before, his arms came around her and comforted her. He was still so much bigger than she was. That thought made her smile.

"What's wrong?" Jake had come back, taking off his dress pants and shirt to change into a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He still was incredibly handsome to her and she couldn't believe she was actually married to him.

Kit met Jake's eyes over Sam's head. Jake nodded and Kit stepped away from her. Then it was Jake's arms around his wife.

Before Sam knew what was going on, Jake had maneuvered her outside onto the deck.

"Tell me what's wrong," Jake urged her.

"Nothing is wrong," Sam blubbered.

"Then why are you crying?" Jake's voice was soft.

"I'm not," Sam made an effort to wipe her eyes.

Jake's mouth twitched.

"I love you, sweetheart," Jake told her. "You're my wife now."

"I can't believe it," Sam admitted. She looked up into his soft brown eyes. "I'm not dreaming am I?"

"No," Jake shook his head. "Not unless I'm dreaming too."

"That's not possible that we're having the same dream, is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so," Jake chuckled.

"Why did you change?" Sam wondered.

Jake shrugged. "More comfortable, I guess."

"Well if you changed, I'm going to change," Sam sniffled.

"Nuh uh," Jake grinned down at her.

"And why not?" Sam wondered, wary of his teasing eyes.

"Because I want to pull a Stanley and lift up your skirt later," Jake told her.

He started to laugh at the expression on her face.

"I see London, I see France," Jake teased.

"Oh no you don't," Sam gave him a saucy grin right back at him. "Sam's not wearing underpants."

She flounced away from him back into the house. Jake's eyes went right to her butt as she walked away from him.

Then he started to laugh. My gosh, he adored her.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

After Sam's comment, Jake found himself watching her butt all afternoon. No matter what she was doing he watched her, his mind going crazy at the thought of her being bare under that dress.

Jake saw the looks of amusement that Kit was throwing his way and knew it wouldn't be long before his oldest brother would start in on the teasing.

He groaned when Kit started walking his way. Here it came.

"You're gonna have an aneurism," Kit told him, barely keeping his laughter inside.

"Yeah well, it's her fault," Jake grumbled.

"It's always their fault," Kit said with a laugh.

Jake chuckled and nodded.

"I've got to say, I didn't see you like this with Dawn," Kit glanced at Jake.

"No," Jake shook his head. "I wasn't."

Kit lifted an eyebrow and Jake reluctantly continued.

"All I can think about is being with Sam," Jake said. "She does something to me. She always has. She doesn't even know most of the time."

"You and she have always been like that," Kit pointed out. "Remember you first kissed her when you were ten."

"I couldn't help myself then either," Jake laughed a self-depreciating laugh.

"You and she were meant to be," Kit shrugged.

"Seems like," Jake sighed.

Kit looked at Jake.

They both stood watching the woman who was Jake's wife as she sipped more champagne and talking with Cricket.

"She told me she's not wearing anything under that dress," Jake murmured.

"Whoa," Kit whistled appreciatively. "I can understand your pain, little brother."

Jake nodded. "So don't act too surprised when we leave suddenly."

Kit started laughing and Jake joined in. Both women looked at the men wondering what was so funny.

Sam met Jake's eyes and hers widened at the heat she saw there. Her mouth ran dry and she downed the rest of her champagne. She saw Jake's mouth twitch and she blushed, causing his mouth to twitch into a smirk.

"You keep this up little man and I'm going to be grabbing my own wife," Kit joked.

"And what's wrong with that?" Jake countered, a smug smile on his face.

"Absolutely nothing," Kit clapped Jake on the shoulder and the brothers exchanged a look.

Jake watched as Sam poured herself another glass of champagne. She glanced at him as she sipped it, their eyes telling each other much. Sam blushed and Jake grinned.

Jake started watching the clock, trying to determine when he could take his wife back to the hotel room.

Jake met Sam's eyes again and now it was her turn to smirk. He wasn't going to last much longer.

He watched as Sam walked towards him. Jake heard Kit chuckle as he left his side. Jake couldn't pry his eyes from his wife as she approached.

He held out his arm and she ducked under it, her arm coming around his waist.

"When are we heading out to the hotel?" she whispered to him. She looked up at him.

"Cricket, Kit, thanks so much," Jake said. "I better get Sam back to the room. Our flight leaves kinda early."

"Yeah, can't have Sam tired on the flight," Kit agreed, barely holding back his laughter.

Sam rolled her eyes at Jake before going to Cricket and giving her a hug.

"Thank you so much," Sam told her sister-in-law.

"You're very welcome," Cricket returned her hug. "I'm so happy you married your man."

"Me too," Sam smiled.

"Sammy," Kit grabbed her as soon as Cricket let go of her. "Have I told you lately how happy I am that you're officially part of our family?"

"I love you, big brother," Sam whispered. "Thank you for telling him."

"You're welcome, Sammy," Kit murmured back to her.

Jake couldn't hear them and was wondering what they were saying.

Sam hugged him tighter and Kit rubbed her back.

"I was afraid for you," Kit whispered. "You look alive again."

"I _was_ dead," Sam confessed. "I didn't want to live. Now I do. Thanks to you."

"So you owe me big time," Kit grinned at her.

"Oh boy, I'm in trouble now," Sam grinned back at him. She leaned in to kiss him.

"Always, Sammy," Kit's grin widened. "Always."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Jake dropped their bags by the door of the hotel room, kicked the door shut with his boot and grabbed her arm, bringing her up against his hard body. His hands cupped her face as his mouth crushed down on hers.

Jake's lips moved over her willing mouth, their tongues tangling, dancing as they kissed. Sam whimpered, trying to get closer to him. She told him how much she needed him in her kiss. Jake told her how much he needed her in his kiss.

Jake started walking them to the bed, but Sam resisted. He pulled back his head and looked down at her.

"We have a dance first," Sam told him.

"Brat," Jake groaned. "You know I don't dance."

Sam gave him a look.

"We don't have music," Jake said.

"Yes, we do," Sam corrected him. "I have my iPod and iHome."

Jake groaned louder.

"One dance," Sam pleaded. "It's tradition. The bride and groom's first dance."

With a longsuffering sigh, Jake nodded.

Sam gave him a smile which made it all worthwhile to Jake.

She went back to her suitcase and squatted down to rummage though it. Jake sucked in a breath as her dress outlined her butt as it stretched. He almost said the heck with it and grabbed her and threw her down on the bed.

Sam stood up and turned around, seeing the naked desire on his face. Her smile did nothing to stop Jake from wanting her badly.

She put her iHome on the table. Sam looked through the songs and put the iPod on the stand and clicked the button.

As the piano played Sam walked towards Jake, her eyes locked on his. He took her in her arms and they swayed together.

_Raindrops, fall from, everywhere  
I reach out, for you, but you're not there  
So i stood, waiting, in the dark  
With your picture, in my hands  
Story of a broken heart_

Stay With me  
Don't let me go  
Cause I can't be without you  
Just stay with me  
And hold me close  
Because I've built my world around you  
And I don't wanna know what it's like without you  
So stay with me  
Just stay With me

"Brat," Jake heard the words.

"I'm okay now," Sam told him.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and she put her cheek against his chest, her ear over his heart. Sam heard its steady beat and she couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes.__

You promised me we'd always be  
And never go away

_That's why I need you to stay_

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Sam," Jake murmured.

"I know," Sam responded.

They looked into each others' eyes and Jake saw the wetness in hers. As they swayed, he reached out to capture a tear with his thumb. He told her with his eyes that the past was over. He promised he would be with her for the rest of their lives.

He loved her. He had married her. He would stay with her. Forever.__

Stay With me  
Don't let me go  
Cause I can't be without you  
Just stay with me  
And hold me close  
Because I've built my world around you  
And I don't wanna know what it's like without you  
So stay with me  
Just stay With me

Jake's hands cupped her jaw as his lips met hers. Gently, tenderly he kissed her. Sam whimpered, answering his kiss.

Jake started to walk backwards. The back of his knees hit the bed and he fell onto his back, bringing his wife with him. Their mouths never left the others'.

Sam pulled away from his mouth to tug on his shirt. Together they pulled it off of him before their lips met again.

Jake's desire for his wife was like an inferno. He felt it pulsing through his body, his blood hot as it rushed through his veins.

Despite the hotness of his desire, he felt a tenderness roll over him as it hit him that he was making love to his _wife_. Sam was indeed his wife. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't fantasy. It was real.

Jake was overcome and he began to cry. He looked down at Sam and she too was crying. Still joined, the two of them cried together. Both realized how close they had come to never being here, in this situation, married and together forever.

They held each other closely as they wept. Sam's hands were smoothing through his hair to comfort him. Jake's hands touched her face, her hair as he tried to comfort her.

Then Jake made love to his new wife.

Afterwards, they whispered their love for each other. They clung together, both thankful for the events which had brought them there.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

"I love you, Brat," Jake told her a bit later.

"I adore you, Jake," Sam whispered, snuggled into his neck.

Jake chuckled and he felt Sam's slow smile against his skin.

"So how much champagne did you have?" Jake asked.

"Enough," Sam laughed huskily deep in her throat.

"Yeah?" Jake chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, her hand caressing his dark skin.

"Somebody's pretty hot tonight," Jake chuckled.

"It's the champagne," Sam told him.

"Remind me to stock up on that stuff," Jake teased.

Together they were swept along.

Jake leaned over her afterwards, his breathing rasping. Sam's fingers tangled in his black Shoshone hair.

Their eyes met, each seeing the love and desire they had for the other in their brown eyes.

"You were incredible wife," Jake whispered.

Sam's smile was both seductive and brilliant. Jake couldn't remember his life without her. The two years without her flashed by him, never to be thought of again.

Later, Sam told him she wanted to make love to _him_ on the table.

"What if the table breaks?" Jake wondered with a laugh.

"It would be a bumpy ride," Sam sassed him. She rolled her eyes up to look at him and he saw how important this was to her.

"Come on," Jake rolled off the bed. "You can ravish me on the table."

"You're so full of it," Sam followed him.

"I'm so easy," Jake grinned at her over his shoulder.

"That too," Sam grinned back at him.

Jake looked at the table.

"I can't lift you up there," Sam told him with a laugh.

"Should I jump?" Jake asked and Sam giggled.

Jake managed to get on the table, ignoring Sam's laughter as he did so.

Somehow they managed to do what they had wanted to do. Sam grinned down at him and kissed his mouth when they were finished.

She leaned away from him.

Sam squealed as she fell backwards.

"Sam," Jake made a grab for her, managing to grip a wrist.

She groaned as her arm was wrenched.

Jake sat up quickly, lowering her to the floor as gently as he could before scrambling off the table to kneel next to her.

"Are you okay, baby?" Jake asked, touching her, checking to make sure nothing was broken.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. She moved her wrist around, showing him that it wasn't hurt too badly.

Their eyes met and Jake's mouth twitched. Sam stifled down a giggle. She saw Jake look away as his chest shook with the laughter he tried to keep inside.

Sam couldn't hold back and she started to laugh. Jake then joined her and soon the two of them were sitting side by side laughing hysterically.

"No more tables," Jake warned her.

Jake gave her a grin and Sam had to laugh.

The two of them laughed together. Sam launched herself at him, tackling him onto his back. She tickled him as he wiggled under her. She still knew all of his ticklish places on his body. They both knew he could throw her off at any time and he did eventually.

Jake was laughing as he rolled her over onto her back, using his knees to hold down her arms. Sam was screaming in laughter as he tickled her.

"Get off me, fat boy," Sam told him.

"What do you say?" Jake responded.

"Fat boy," Sam screamed, then shrieked when her started tickling her unmercifully.

"That's not it, Brat," Jake laughed. "What's the magic word?"

"Fat boy, fat boy," Sam repeated.

Jake continued to torment her, both of them laughing until she finally shouted "Uncle!"


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Jake woke up to sobbing as Sam had found herself face down in another strange bed and for a moment thought she had dreamt everything and was back again in Craig's bed.

When Jake took her into his arms to soothe her, she had clung to him sobbing incoherently.

"You're fine, Brat," Jake murmured. "It's okay now."

"We're married?" Sam asked, the tears streaming down her face.

"Yes, we're married," Jake assured her.

That caused her to sob out of control and Jake understood, talking to her calmly as he would a skittish horse. He held her until she quieted.

"I woke up and thought…," Sam shuddered unable to finish.

"That's over," Jake said. "We're together now and will be for the rest of our lives."

She could only nod her head as she nuzzled into him, inhaling his scent.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I adore you, wife," Jake told her.

She looked up at him and he bent to kiss her mouth. He saw the grimace on her face.

"My breath that bad?" Jake wondered.

"No," Sam assured him. "Cramps."

"I'm sorry, baby," Jake rubbed her back as he held her.

"No baby this month," Sam said, watching his face.

"Then we try for next month," Jake shrugged. "Or we wait."

"Neither of us is using anything," Sam reminded him.

"I'll buy a case of condoms if you need me to," Jake responded.

Sam shook her head. "If I didn't want your baby right away, I'd go back on the pill."

"So you wouldn't be upset if we had kids right away?" Jake asked.

"No," Sam shook her head again. "I want your babies. I can't be the only Ely wife not contributing to the gene pool."

Jake chuckled. "I want you for you. Not just for contributing to the gene pool."

"You're very sweet," Sam nibbled on his lips.

"Do you need to stop at the store on the way to the airport?" Jake wondered.

"Yeah, we better," Sam nodded. "I didn't expect to be in Hawaii so long so I didn't pack any tampons."

Jake shivered and Sam swatted him, causing him to laugh.

"You better get used to it," she raised her eyebrows. "You're married and living with a woman now."

"Yes I am," Jake smiled at her.

"I'm sore," Sam grimaced.

Jake raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sore from falling off the table," Sam told him.

The two of them locked eyes, remembering. She saw the amusement along with the heat in his eyes. His mouth twitched and Sam giggled. Jake's sexy full mouth curved into a grin.

"Are you going to tell your brothers?" Sam wondered.

"I don't know," he was honest. "Maybe it will remain our secret."

Sam laughed and Jake laughed along with her, holding her tight to him. He looked over at the clock next to the bed.

"We better get to the airport," Jake told her.

Sam sighed and nodded.

She was nervous about returning to Nevada. Jake knew it and rolled her onto her back, kissing her.

"Everything will be fine," Jake assured her against her lips. "We love each other and that's all that matters."

"They hate me," Sam was sure.

"No, they love you because I love you," Jake countered. "You'll see. They will be excited to see you."

Sam's eyes met his seeing the love for her there. She nodded knowing she'd go with him anywhere at anytime because she loved him that much.

The two of them made a pact with their eyes, not having to say a word. They vowed to always be there for the other, to love the other unconditionally, no matter what.

"I love you," Sam kissed him gently, tenderly.

"I adore you, Samantha Anne Ely," Jake's mouth was soft against hers.

Sam knew it was true and gave thanks for it. He loved her again. She could do anything knowing he loved her again.

© 2009 – LB

Characters © Terri Farley


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